Calculating the service level is relatively simple. First, count the number of calls answered within a specific time period, ranging from 10 seconds to a full minute. Then, divide the number of calls answered within this period by the total number of incoming calls, then multiply it by 100 to get the service level percentage. This metric is necessary to evaluate the efficiency and quality of customer service. A call center's service level should be based on what that call center can reasonably achieve, given its resources and expected call volume.
It can help you improve first-call call resolution rates, reduce average service time, and reduce the number of call transfers and repeat calls, all of which ultimately translate into a better level of service and better CSAT scores. A call center's best weapon for achieving good service level standards is its communications platform or contact center. Now that you have a solid understanding of defining call center service levels, you can apply the principles to better maintain them and improve your service levels. The call center service level is defined as the percentage of calls answered within a predefined target time threshold. Service level is a call center performance metric that measures the percentage of calls answered within a specific time period, typically expressed as “X% of calls answered in Y seconds”.
Call center service levels are, in general terms, a commitment to a given average response speed (ASA). The first essential step you should take to improve the level of service in your call center is to educate the entire team about it. Fortunately, most call center solutions allow you to monitor your call center operations in real time so you can instantly detect a drop in your service level and take action before it negatively affects customer experience and satisfaction. One of the ways to maintain a high level of service in your call center is to monitor it in real time and make appropriate adjustments when necessary. With so much at stake in this metric, it's surprising to see how many call centers choose their service level arbitrarily or with a minimum of inquiries.
To know the performance of your call center, you can calculate a specific service level metric based on a period of time. While it's easy to determine the service level of your call center, truly understanding what your agents and systems can do means that you'll need to use three different methods to monitor the performance of your call center. Maintaining high levels of service in a call center is essential for customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
