When Someone Asks, “How Are We Performing?”…
You check the dashboard. Metrics are everywhere: AHT, CSAT, service levels, abandonment rate. But here’s the problem, none of them tell you what’s actually good. Should you invest more, scale back, or shift strategy?
Benchmarking should help you make that call. Too often, it doesn’t. You’re left staring at a flood of numbers without direction.
Why This Feels Harder Than It Should
Benchmarking often turns into a reporting ritual. Lots of numbers, not many insights.
Here’s the typical path:
- Pull performance data
- Compare to industry averages
- Hope for clarity
But comparing your metrics to a generic benchmark isn’t the same as making a decision.
If your AHT is 4:30 and the industry average is 6:00, what does that really mean? Are you more efficient? Should you reduce staff? Or are there hidden factors inflating that average?
Without context, metrics fall flat.
What Strong Benchmarking Actually Looks Like
The best leaders flip the script. They don’t start with numbers — they start with decisions.
Start with the right questions:
- Where should we invest next?
- Are we over or under-staffed?
- How are we trending, and is it sustainable?
Then, look inward first:
Your contact center isn’t average. Your metrics should reflect that. Measuring against yourself over time is far more powerful than chasing generic averages.
Avoid These Common Benchmarking Traps
❌ Chasing averages
External benchmarks can be useful for context, but they aren’t decision-making tools. Your support model, customer base, and product complexity are unique. Benchmarking should reflect your world — not the average.
❌ Letting metrics become the goal
When teams are pressured to hit a number, performance suffers. Calls get rushed to meet AHT. Surveys are gamed to boost CSAT. Metrics lose meaning when they stop measuring the right outcomes.
❌ Tracking too much data
If a metric isn’t tied to a decision, it doesn’t belong in your dashboard. Focus on the KPIs that drive action.
❌ Using snapshots instead of trends
One-off numbers tell you what happened. Trends tell you what’s changing and why. A sudden dip in service level means nothing until you understand the trajectory and context behind it.
Use Benchmarking to Answer These 3 Strategic Questions
1. Are we allocating resources correctly?
Look at where your team is overperforming or stretched thin. Are your service levels exceeding targets every week? You may be overstaffed. Is your occupancy rate too high? You’re risking burnout.
The goal isn’t just hitting a number — it’s aligning resources with impact.
2. What’s our trajectory, and is it sustainable?
Trends matter more than one-time scores. A slow rise in handle times might mean your product is getting more complex. Or maybe agents need better tools. Spotting these shifts early helps you course-correct before they become problems.
3. How do we tell the story to leadership?
Executives don’t want 15 disconnected metrics. They want a clear narrative. For example:
“We’ve improved CSAT by 8 points over the last year while reducing cost per contact by 12 percent.”
That kind of clarity builds confidence. It connects performance to progress.
The Bottom Line: Benchmarking Should Drive Action
Benchmarking isn’t about seeing how you stack up. It’s about making informed decisions.
Here’s what matters:
- Measure your own trends first
- Use external benchmarks for context, not guidance
- Tie every metric to a decision or business outcome
- Stay focused on why things are changing, not just what changed
The leaders who get this right move faster, communicate better, and build smarter strategies.
How Brightmetrics Helps
If you’re using Brightmetrics, you already know the value of going beyond the top-line numbers.
Brightmetrics helps leaders:
- Drill into metrics quickly, without wrangling spreadsheets
- Segment data by team, queue, or channel to uncover root causes
- Turn a red flag into a confident next step — fast
It’s not about the number. It’s about understanding what’s behind it.
