What Is Call Center Monitoring? (+ Advice for Supervisors)

Call center agents need help, and customers deserve the best experience possible.



What ties these two together?  Call center monitoring . It’s one of those things that  needs  to happen but is rarely done  well .



Want a bona fide method to measure how well you’re meeting customer expectations?



Read on for detailed tips to solidify your call center monitoring processes and improve the customer experience.



What Is Call Center Monitoring?



Call center monitoring is the process of listening to calls in real time or once completed for the purpose of agent training and customer service improvement.



Depending on the scenario or business goal, your monitoring may be selective or random.



For example, you can choose certain calls by agent, team, or type to gauge performance and create a benchmark. 



You can also randomize the calls you monitor to remove the possibility of bias. When a computer or algorithm chooses which calls get monitored, no prior history or personal feelings are involved.



In call center operations, monitoring plays a crucial role. It’s not just to ensure agents are following a script or plugging your latest product. It’s also about making sure everyone is providing value to your customers.



When you provide value-enhancing interactions, there’s an  82%  probability that your customer will remain loyal when presented with an opportunity to switch. Monitoring a selection of calls is one of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure your agents consistently add value.



A virtual call center setup in Nextiva


You can monitor calls in both an on-premises and  virtual call center  setup. There aren’t any restrictions stopping you from putting call center monitoring in place right now. You just need the right technology.



You may come across several different types of call center monitoring:




Live call monitoring:  During calls, agents (or software) may flag they need help.



Post-call monitoring:  If there’s been a bad call, you can check on it instantly.



Call center quality assurance monitoring:  A formal process to ensure calls meet the expected standard across the board.




In all these scenarios, you will come across different types of calls. The right solution needs to be capable of monitoring all of them.



Types of Calls Monitored



Inbound calls



You can monitor calls when a customer calls into your call center.



Inbound call centers  include many types of calls:




Customer assistance:  Keep track of how well staff perform with first-line queries.



Technical support:  Record complex troubleshooting to help create better scripts.



Billing questions:  Keep an eye out for recurring issues and find the root cause.



Order statuses:  Find out why customers aren’t using self-service options.



Complaints:  Check if issues could have been solved before they escalate them.




Outbound calls



You can also monitor calls when you make an outbound call. A best practice here is to make sure the person on the other end of the call knows they’re being recorded.



Call centers often play messages or ask agents to state, “This call is recorded for monitoring and training.”



Types of outbound calls include:




Sales promotions:  Find out what messaging is working for  outbound campaigns .



Surveys:  Measure how effective your research is.



Appointment reminders : Gauge if agents are stressing the importance of meeting appointments.



Debt collection:  Ensure payments are taken in a PCI-compliant manner.



Follow-ups:  Make sure agents provide all the details customers need so they won’t have to call back.




Call center features for sales to ace every outbound conversation



Internal calls



Yes, even internal company calls can be monitored.



Types of internal calls include:




Agent training:  ensure supervisors are providing quality advice to agents.



Team meetings : review structure and content on a regular basis.



Quality management:  ensure agents are adhering to quality standards using a formal plan.



IT support:  Check for security verification and test against social engineering attacks.




Specialized calls



You may have niche calls where recording and monitoring are of particularly high value. Not recording and monitoring them might have a costly negative impact.



Specialized calls include:




High-value customer interactions : Formalize verbal agreements for sales contracts.



Dispute resolutions:  Capture a unique skill that junior agents can learn from.



Crisis/emergency scenarios:  Identify vital factors for learning and development.




Randomly selected calls



Using a call center monitoring program, you can randomly select calls to monitor. This ensures unbiased  quality assurance .



Sometimes, you might find yourself reviewing calls from the same agent repeatedly. This could be because you’ve witnessed one bad interaction and think they need more monitoring than their peers.



That  might  be the case. Sometimes, targeted call center monitoring is the right choice. 



Best practice dictates you use random calls for “regular” monitoring alongside flagging certain agents or departments for dedicated monitoring. For example, if one month there is a high number of complaints about technical support, focused monitoring is a good idea.



Flagged calls



Choose to have monitoring systems highlight phone calls based on criteria like duration, tone, or keywords. This is useful to remove the need for constantly looking over the shoulder of agents. 



Instead of assuming a team needs constant monitoring, rely on automated call center technology. It can identify long calls, repeat callers, or curse words in your office.



Call Center Monitoring Best Practices



If you’re new to call center monitoring or haven’t done it in a while, remember these tips.



Set clear objectives



As the old adage goes, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. The same is true for setting objectives at the start of a call center monitoring program.



If you fail to set clear objectives, you waste time listening to calls without a good reason.



Objectives must be:




Clear:  There is no doubt why you’re monitoring calls.



Measurable:  You have a set number of calls (and metrics to deem them good/bad).



Aligned to business goals : You’re working in line with other business units to better a specific target.




One example of a clear objective for starting call center monitoring is a conscious effort to improve  Net Promoter Score (NPS ) . 







Suppose you want to improve the likelihood of customers recommending your service. In that case, you must ensure agents are performing at the level you expect, using the latest scripts , and dealing with objections in a friendly and helpful manner.



Conduct regular training



If all you do is monitor agents, how can you expect them to improve?



Continuous training for agents (and supervisors) is vital to the success of your call center. Therefore, the output of your monitoring must become the input of your training sessions.



When you monitor the right combination of calls, you start identifying training needs. From here, you can plan a  call center strategy  backed by information gathered in real customer calls.



One example is when no one is using the new troubleshooting script. In this scenario, flag it and explain to agents why there’s a new script.



It might be the case that they need more practice and don’t yet feel confident. Use these training sessions as rehearsals for real-world scenarios.



Create a customer feedback loop



Continuous training is most effective when you receive constructive feedback. And there’s no better place to find genuine feedback than your customers.




“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

Bill Gates, Microsoft.







Call centers can create a feedback loop by implementing post-call surveys and using  online customer survey software .



Creating a customer satisfaction survey in Nextiva



When you get feedback, listen to recorded calls to verify complaints and suggestions.



Once given the green light, solving these problems must feed into your training programs.



Use the right platform



When you’re busy managing a call center, it’s hard to work out which calls to monitor, which to prioritize, and who needs the most training.



Selecting the right software pays dividends in terms of productivity, bias removal, and consistency.



You need a monitoring platform that does several things:




Integrates with your call center software



Provides a holistic view of your call center performance



Drills down into low-level analytics




Only when you’ve got the right platform will you see the benefits of call center monitoring.



Develop reporting templates



Ideally, your call center platform will include out-of-the-box reporting templates. You can take these and run with them or make them your own through customization.



Custom wallboards that make reporting easy and accessible



If you do create your own, make sure you include all types of calls, agents, and scenarios. What you’re aiming for here is uniformity and removal of bias. 



Every reporting template must be based on data and facts rather than personal opinions and external influences.



Consider including the following criteria in your reporting templates:




Completes identity and verification



Follows script



Is polite and courteous



Practices active listening



Provides a viable solution



Asks if they can help further




Uphold consumer privacy



In every scenario mentioned, the privacy of your customers’ information is paramount.



Announcing that calls may be recorded for monitoring and training purposes is a simple and effective method to ensure customers know what’s happening.



Customers may, however, request that calls are not recorded. In these cases, ensure your  call center solution  can accommodate this.



You may also be subject to legal considerations. If your company has to follow any of these rules, ask your call center software provider for advice before starting monitoring:




Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA):  health information must be protected by access and audit controls.



Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance:  payments must be taken without the caller reading out card numbers.



California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) : you must gain consent from customers before retaining their details.




Call Center Monitoring KPIs You Should Measure









When you’re thinking about implementing call center monitoring, the conversation shouldn’t just be about what you’re monitoring;  why  you’re doing it is equally important.



Your reasons for monitoring should be adjacent to the key performance indicators (KPIs) or metrics you set as a business unit. 



Here are some of the most effective  call center metrics  you could be tracking.



Customer satisfaction scores



Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) is a metric used by customer service functions to gauge how happy their customers are.



You measure CSAT by conducting a  customer satisfaction survey . When you’ve implemented training off the back of your monitoring efforts, you should aim to see a higher CSAT score than previous efforts.







As your score increases, keep doing more of what works when it comes to monitoring and customer feedback loops.



If your score dips, it’s a sign to rethink the content and/or structure of your agent training.



First-call resolution rates



First-call resolution (FCR )  is when you solve a customer’s problem the first time they contact your company. 



By calculating the number (or percentage) of client problems solved in one call, your company can better measure the success of its documentation, materials, product design, and call center staff.



To calculate FCR, take the total number of reported issues resolved on a first call, divide that by the total number of calls, and then multiply by 100.







A solid contact center benchmark for FCR is 70%–75% . But this will vary from industry to industry.



Agent feedback scoring



This is the process of asking customers to score the most recent transaction they had with an agent.



Differing from NPS, this is asking for a score  for a specific agent  rather than a query about the customer’s overall experience.



For example, Mohammed might have done everything in his power to solve the problem but was let down by technology.



This client might score Mohammed a 10 but still be disappointed they didn’t get a resolution immediately.



Average handle time



Average handle time (AHT)  is the amount of time it takes to help a customer in a call center. 



This includes talk, hold, and follow-up time divided by the total number of calls.



Let’s say you had 10 phone calls for the day and spent 50 minutes talking, five minutes on hold, and five minutes adding notes in your CRM.



Your average handle time formula would work out like this: