As contact centers evolve into omnichannel centers, they’ll need to establish and track new KPIs that accurately measure value and success. That means taking new approaches and establishing new metrics that map to omnichannel strategies and goals.

Here are a few examples of each.

New Approaches

Qualitative as Well as Quantitative

We’ve been primarily focused on quantity in our traditional metrics. How high, how low, how often. Average hold times and call abandonment rates are still important metrics. But omnichannel presents us with new and different customer experience KPIs; one example is issue resolution across channels that supports customer journey analytics.

Measure in Context

Measure the KPIs of one channel within the context of all active channels. For example, you might see a surge in call abandonment rates and think you have a problem. But measuring all channels together and in context you could discover that many customers are finding ways to solve their issues through another channel while they’re on hold. Omnichannel strategies provide this visibility.

Verticals Matter

In traditional contact center metrics, the KPIs are more alike than dissimilar across industry. Average Hold Time (AHT) is the same whether you’re a bank, a hospital or a retailer. When omnichannel comes into the picture, that shifts. Now the KPIs are more different than they are similar, from one industry to another. Just as the omnichannel goals differ, the omnichannel metrics differ too. For instance, while every industry wants to achieve First Contact Resolution, the resolution itself differs: for healthcare it might be an explanation of benefits via chat session, while for retail it’s the status of a shipment via traditional IVR.

New Metrics

Channels Per Task Per Interaction

It’s important to note that the omnichannel investment pays for itself only if it’s easy for customers to use. For instance, a retail clothing customer in-store finds that the size or color he wants isn’t available. Rather than wait to find a sales associate, he uses an app to scan the barcode for the item to find and order the right size or color, receives confirmation on his device and tracking information via email.

Self Service by Task Complexity

When it comes to self-service, transactions have different levels of complexity, from simply checking a balance to transferring an auto title or making complicated travel plans. The KPIs here should be an evaluation of how many complex transactions that traditionally require a live agent are now being handled through self service, and on what mix of channels.

Net Outcome Score

Net Promoter Score^® measures customer loyalty with the brand and with individual transactions. The same principle applies to the contact center. But our “one question” can’t be about loyalty: you’re not measuring how likely a customer is to recommend your contact center to a friend. Now your search is to find out how easily the customer achieved the outcome. Maybe our “one question is “would you take the same steps to solve the same problem again?” Let’s call it the Net Outcome Score

Check the Wallet

As you achieve greater levels of self service, you’re going to expect to see an impact in your financials. It stands to reason. As your customers become expert at using omnichannel self-service channels, they start solving basic issues on their own, freeing up your knowledgeable and skilled agents to handle more complex issues. That means fewer agents to handle the same call loads, which is a big cost cutter. (And while you’re cutting costs, don’t lose sight of the price/performance benefits of running your omnichannel contact center in the Cloud.)

A new model for customer interaction in the contact center demands new ways to measure those interactions. I’ve laid out a few here, but the list is hardly complete. We’d love to hear what your new KPIs are today, and what they become over time, for your own omnichannel program.