Are you still considering whether to outsource customer support services? 61% of clients switch to a competitor after just one bad customer experience, according to Zendesk. Whether you are managing your own team or considering outsourcing, providing a good customer experience has never been more crucial.
According to research from Deloitte’s 2025 Global Business Services Survey, businesses prioritize customer experience as a way to differentiate themselves and improve loyalty. Problem solving in just one interaction is now expected from clients as their needs change and evolve. It’s more important than ever for companies to prioritize offering good support so they increase the retention of their clients.
What should you consider before outsourcing?
- How is our current support team performing now?
- How will we identify and choose the right outsourcing partner for us?
- How will we track performance and know if it is working for us?
To answer these questions, you need to be tracking the right customer service metrics. Most businesses focus on vanity metrics like number of tickets received, hours of coverage and size of support teams, but they don’t tell the whole story.
Why should you track the right customer service metrics?
- To identify the most appropriate outsourcing partner
- To be able to improve the customer experience
- So, you turn prospective customers into clients
We’ll cover the 5 key metrics that help you evaluate the best customer support solution and make informed decisions.
The 5 most important customer service metrics are:
- CSAT
- FRT
- CES
- FCR
- NPS
KPI 1 – CSAT
Customer satisfaction score is a metric that measures how consumers are feeling about your products or service. In the sense of customer support, it shows how satisfied clients are with the service they have received. Companies can gather that type of feedback through surveys. CSAT is a good indicator of retention and churn rate. The average CSAT score that companies should strive for is 88% for retail and 90% for financial services (Zendesk,2024).
KPI 2 – FRT
First response time is a key performance indicator that measures the time from the inquiry being sent by the customer to the first response from the support agent. It is an indicator of how efficient and fast the service is. Less FRT time equals higher CSAT score, as fast responses build trust and loyalty and increase the satisfaction of the clients.
KPI 3 – CES
Customer effort score is a customer service metric that measures how much effort the customer needs to put in order to get their problem solved. For example, the time it took them to reach support or if they had to go through additional steps in order to get the desired result. If the score is high, it means that the client couldn’t get their problem solved in one interaction and maybe they had to contact support multiple times. 96% of consumers with a high CES are less loyal than those with a low score, according to Gartner.
KPI 4 – FCR
First Contact Resolution tracks the rate of closed tickets on the first interaction with the client. It measures the efficiency and effectiveness of the support team. According to HubSpot, the average FCR companies should aim for is 70%.
KPI 5 – NPS
Net promoter score is a loyalty metric that is measured in the form of a survey asking consumers how likely they are to recommend the business, service or product. The answers are measured on a scale of 1 to 10 and customers are then segmented into 3 groups:
● Promoters – most likely to recommend the brand
● Detractors – least likely to recommend the brand
● Passives – might recommend it
According to IBM, Net promoter score is measured on a scale ranging from -100 to +100.
How does this help your business?
By focusing on the right customer service metrics, you can:
● Increase efficiency and save costs
● Find the most suitable outsourcing partner
● Improve the customer experience and increase loyalty
● Make data-driven decisions
How to use these metrics to evaluate outsourcing partners?
1. Test how your current team is performing on these metrics to establish a baseline and
then compare the partners results on the same metrics
2. Ask the outsourcing company for their performance data
3. Define reporting requirements – how often and in what way
4. Reference check – how the clients results improved with their support partnership, get it
in writing
5. Look for transparency and accountability
Tracking the right metrics is crucial for any business or internal customer support team in order to be able to provide the best service for the clients and to maximize operational efficiency and reduce costs.
Ready to provide the best customer experience to your clients? At Mercatus we focus on offering omnichannel support in order to meet the consumer at each touchpoint and offer a seamless experience.
Contact us now and let’s discuss.
