Call Center Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Shrinkage in workforce management refers to which of the following?
- Paid time when agents are unavailable to handle calls, such as breaks, training, and meetings (Correct answer)
- The decline in call volume during holidays
- Loss of customers to competitors
- Reduction in average handle time over the year
Correct 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.
Question 2: A call center forecasts needing 100 staffed hours but shrinkage is 30%. Approximately how many hours must be scheduled?
- About 143 hours (Correct answer)
- About 130 hours
- About 70 hours
- About 100 hours
Correct answer: About 143 hours
Required schedule = staffed hours / (1 - shrinkage) = 100 / 0.70 ≈ 143 hours.
Question 3: Average Speed of Answer (ASA) measures what?
- The average time callers wait before an agent answers (Correct answer)
- The average time agents take to resolve an issue
- The average number of rings before voicemail
- The average time to complete after-call work
Correct 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.
Question 4: Cost per call is calculated by which formula?
- Total operating costs divided by total calls handled (Correct answer)
- Agent salary divided by hours worked
- Total calls divided by total revenue
- Average handle time multiplied by hourly wage only
Correct 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.
Question 5: Which KPI would best reveal that an IVR menu redesign is deflecting simple calls successfully?
- IVR containment (self-service) rate (Correct answer)
- Agent adherence
- QA score
- Average after-call work time
Correct answer: IVR containment (self-service) rate
Containment rate measures the percentage of calls fully resolved in the IVR without transferring to an agent.
Question 6: An outbound sales call center would most likely prioritize which KPI over the others listed?
- Conversion rate per contact (Correct answer)
- Average Speed of Answer
- Abandonment rate
- Service Level
Correct answer: Conversion rate per contact
Outbound sales operations are judged mainly on how many contacts convert into sales, unlike inbound queue metrics.
Question 7: Transfer rate is a useful KPI because a high value often indicates what?
- Calls are being routed to the wrong skill group or agents lack training (Correct answer)
- Customers are highly satisfied
- The IVR is containing too many calls
- Agents are exceeding sales targets
Correct 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.
Call Center Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 4
Shrinkage in workforce management refers to which of the following?