Contact Center Metrics Glossary

Every Contact Center Metric — Defined, Formulas Included, Benchmarks Attached

Not dictionary definitions. Actual formulas, real industry benchmarks, and what each metric predicts about your operation.

Satisfaction

CSAT Score

CSAT = (Satisfied / Total Responses) × 100

Measures post-interaction customer satisfaction on a 1–5 scale. Industry average for B2B contact centers is 75–85%.

Industry avg: 75–85% · Top quartile: 88%+
Efficiency

Average Handle Time (AHT)

AHT = (Talk + Hold + ACW) / Interactions

Total time per interaction including after-call work. Shorter isn't always better — collections and enrollment have AHT floors tied to outcomes.

Collections: 6–9 min · Enrollment: 8–12 min
Quality

First Call Resolution (FCR)

FCR = (Resolved First Contact / Total) × 100

Percentage of contacts resolved without a repeat call within 7 days. The single strongest predictor of CSAT and cost efficiency.

Industry avg: 70–75% · Top quartile: 80–85%
Automation

Deflection Rate

Deflection = (No-Human Contacts / Total) × 100

Percentage of contacts resolved without a human agent. High deflection without CSAT monitoring is a risk, not a win — especially in collections.

Voice avg: 20–40% · Digital avg: 50–70%
Staffing

Agent Occupancy Rate

Occupancy = (Handle Time / Available Time) × 100

Percentage of logged-in time spent on active work. Above 85% consistently leads to burnout and turnover — there's a ceiling, not just a floor.

Target: 75–85% · Burnout risk: >90%
Escalation

Escalation Path

Defined triggers + SLAs at each level

The chain from frontline agent through team lead, supervisor, and manager — with defined triggers, response SLAs, and resolution authority at each level.

Healthy escalation rate: 3–8% of total contacts