Beyond AHT: Revisiting How Proficiency Scoring Empowers Agents, Improves CX, and Streamlines Workforce Management
By Marshall Lee, CVS Health
Do you struggle to accurately measure individual agent performance in your contact center, especially in non-voice channels like chat or email? Are agents stressed about meeting rigid average handle time (AHT) goals, potentially sacrificing customer experience (CX) for efficiency? This article explores proficiency scoring, a method that goes beyond AHT to create a win-win for agents, managers, and customers.
Today’s WFM environment has gotten more complex than ever. Engagement has become key to employee retention, while we need to keep costs low, and margin strong.
The Contact Center Challenge: Balancing Efficiency and Quality
The modern contact center agent juggles multiple pressures: daily monitoring, schedule adherence, diverse Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and an ever-expanding role encompassing customer service, sales, and issue resolution. Focusing solely on AHT can incentivize rushing calls, potentially harming CX. Consider an agent pressured to meet a 5-minute AHT target. They might rush through greetings, skip crucial troubleshooting steps, or fail to gather all necessary information, leading to frustrated customers and higher call volumes due to unresolved issues. Proficiency scoring offers a solution.
Proficiency Scoring: A More Holistic Approach
Proficiency scoring calculates and ranks agent efficiency without a rigid AHT target. Instead of a single AHT number, a range is established based on historical data and industry benchmarks. Proficiency scores are then assigned based on an agent’s AHT relative to the average. This allows for individual differences while ensuring overall team efficiency. For example, a contact center supporting complex technical inquiries might establish an AHT range of 4-7 minutes, while a center handling simple order confirmations might have a range of 2-4 minutes.
Mechanics of Proficiency Scoring: A Scaled Approach
Proficiency scoring typically uses a base-10 scale, with 1.0 representing the average AHT for a specific team or the entire contact center. Here’s how it works:
- Agent AHT Below Average: If an agent’s AHT is consistently below the average, they receive a score lower than 1.0. For example, if the average AHT is 5 minutes and an agent consistently resolves issues in 4 minutes, their proficiency score might be 0.8. This doesn’t necessarily indicate poor performance. The agent might be highly skilled at resolving issues quickly while maintaining quality interactions.
- Agent AHT Above Average: Conversely, agents who consistently take longer than average to handle interactions receive a score higher than 1.0. Continuing the example, an agent with a consistent AHT of 6 minutes would receive a score of 1.2. This score prompts further evaluation. Is the agent struggling with complex inquiries requiring more time? Are there knowledge gaps or process inefficiencies hindering their efficiency?
Beyond the Scale: Leveraging Proficiency Scoring for Targeted Coaching
Proficiency scoring becomes even more powerful when combined with other performance metrics. For instance, an agent with a high proficiency score (low AHT) but low customer satisfaction scores might be rushing interactions. Coaching can focus on active listening and empathy to improve CX without sacrificing efficiency. Conversely, an agent with a low proficiency score (high AHT) but high customer satisfaction scores might be taking the necessary time to deliver exceptional service. Coaching can focus on streamlining processes or identifying knowledge gaps to improve efficiency while maintaining quality.
Benefits for Everyone: Improved EX, CX, and Workforce Management
- Improved Employee Experience (EX): Proficiency scoring empowers agents to work at their natural pace, focusing on quality interactions. This reduces stress associated with meeting unrealistic AHT targets and fosters a sense of ownership over their work. Agents with consistently high proficiency scores can be recognized for their expertise, leading to higher morale and lower absenteeism.
- Improved Customer Experience (CX): With proficiency scoring, agents have more time for each interaction, fostering better problem-solving and first-call resolution. Customers feel valued and receive a more positive CX as agents can delve deeper into issues and identify root causes. Reduced call volumes due to improved first-call resolution further enhance the customer experience.
- Improved Workforce Management: Proficiency scoring simplifies workforce forecasting. Managers can accurately predict the impact of staffing changes and agent absences by considering not just the number of agents but also their individual proficiency levels. Scheduling becomes more effective, ensuring optimal agent coverage across channels. For instance, a manager might schedule a high-proficiency agent alongside a lower-proficiency agent to balance efficiency with quality during peak periods.
Proficiency Scoring in Action: A Multi-Channel Example
Imagine a contact center with agents handling customer inquiries via phone, chat, and email. Agent A consistently resolves complex email inquiries in one interaction, resulting in a proficiency score of 0.9 (slightly below average AHT for email interactions). However, their high first-call resolution and positive customer satisfaction scores indicate exceptional service. This agent might be ideal for mentoring newer agents or taking on more complex inquiries.
Meanwhile, Agent B struggles with phone interactions, consistently exceeding the AHT range and receiving a proficiency score of 1.3. However, their chat interactions are consistently within the proficiency range and boast high customer satisfaction scores. Coaching can focus on identifying the root cause of the phone interaction challenges, perhaps exploring different communication styles or knowledge gaps. Agent B might excel in a chat-focused role, leveraging their written communication skills.
Proficiency Scoring and the Future of Contact Centers
Proficiency scoring is not a magic bullet, but it represents a significant shift from the limitations of a sole focus on AHT. By fostering a culture that values both efficiency and quality, proficiency scoring empowers agents, improves CX, and streamlines workforce management. Here are some additional considerations for successful implementation:
- Clearly Defined Proficiency Ranges: Establish clear proficiency ranges for each team or channel based on historical data and industry benchmarks. Communicate these ranges transparently to agents.
- Data-Driven Coaching: Use proficiency scores alongside other metrics to identify areas for targeted coaching and development.
- Focus on Continuous Improvement: Proficiency scoring
is a tool for continuous improvement, not a punitive measure. Regularly review proficiency ranges and adjust as needed to reflect evolving customer needs and industry standards. - Alignment with Employee Engagement Initiatives:
Proficiency scoring should complement, not replace, employee engagement initiatives. Recognize and reward agents who consistently demonstrate high proficiency.
By embracing proficiency scoring, contact centers can move beyond the limitations of AHT-driven environments. This approach fosters a culture that prioritizes both CX and EX. Agents can leverage their strengths and work at a natural pace, managers can provide targeted coaching for continuous improvement, and workforce management can optimize staffing for peak efficiency. The result? A thriving contact center that delivers exceptional service while keeping employees engaged and productive. In today’s competitive landscape, proficiency scoring positions contact centers for long-term success.
SWPP Board Member Marshall Lee is Senior Manager, WFM Forecasting & Capacity Planning at CVS Health. He may be reached at marshall.lee@cvshealth.com.