Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Flashcards

Shrinkage in workforce management refers to which of the following?

Answer: Paid time when agents are unavailable to handle calls, such as breaks, training, and meetings

Shrinkage is the portion of paid time agents cannot take calls due to breaks, meetings, training, absenteeism, and similar activities.

A call center forecasts needing 100 staffed hours but shrinkage is 30%. Approximately how many hours must be scheduled?

Answer: About 143 hours

Required schedule = staffed hours / (1 - shrinkage) = 100 / 0.70 ≈ 143 hours.

Average Speed of Answer (ASA) measures what?

Answer: The average time callers wait before an agent answers

ASA is the average wait time from when a call enters the queue until an agent picks it up.

Cost per call is calculated by which formula?

Answer: Total operating costs divided by total calls handled

Cost per call divides all operating costs of the center by the number of calls handled in the same period.

Which KPI would best reveal that an IVR menu redesign is deflecting simple calls successfully?

Answer: IVR containment (self-service) rate

Containment rate measures the percentage of calls fully resolved in the IVR without transferring to an agent.

An outbound sales call center would most likely prioritize which KPI over the others listed?

Answer: Conversion rate per contact

Outbound sales operations are judged mainly on how many contacts convert into sales, unlike inbound queue metrics.

Transfer rate is a useful KPI because a high value often indicates what?

Answer: Calls are being routed to the wrong skill group or agents lack training

Frequent transfers usually point to misrouting or knowledge gaps that prevent the first agent from resolving the issue.