Podcast ¦ Next In Queue: Going Off the Rails featuring Shmuel Saklad

Key Take Aways

1. Metrics and KPIs are vital tools in contact centre management, but they can be misleading if interpreted without context.

2. Broken processes may produce seemingly accurate data but can create false narratives; ensuring process integrity is essential.

3. Regular quality assurance (QA) across operations and systems is critical to prevent data from lying and to understand true performance.

4. Clear communication of the ‘why’ behind processes improves team understanding and minimises unintended behaviours.

5. Setting realistic and achievable targets prevents agents from resorting to counterproductive shortcuts to meet KPIs.

6. Behavioural impacts of KPIs mean leaders must carefully design metrics to motivate the right actions.

7. Digital channels and self-service options should be tailored to customer segments, recognising diverse needs and capabilities.

8. Granular metrics, such as hourly service levels, are more informative for real-time decision making than aggregated daily or weekly data.

9. Recognising outliers and understanding the underlying reasons helps in refining processes and targeting improvements.

10. Too frequent data analysis can cause analysis paralysis; focus on core KPIs while balancing ad hoc insights.

11. Behavioural shortcuts by agents highlight the importance of offsetting metrics and multi-layered measurement systems.

12. Understanding customer profiles is vital in designing effective support channels, especially when multiple touchpoints or digital solutions are involved.

Key Statistics

• Crazy Train, the song referenced, hit the Mainstream Rock Top 10 on Billboard after its 1980 release.

• The 2002 reissue of Crazy Train peaked at number one in the US digital sales chart after Ozzy Osbourne’s passing in July 2025.

• As of the time of commentary, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at position 39.

• One anecdote discusses clients’ self-resolving support requests dropping to a possible self-service rate of 25%, impacting agent caseloads.

• Member of insight training highlighted the extensive metrics measured in contact centres, including call duration, handling time, and response efficiency.

Key Discussion Points

• The importance of validating operational data through process QA to reveal true performance insights.

• The risk of relying solely on KPIs that can be manipulated, leading to unintended agent behaviours.

• How broken processes can produce misleading metrics, emphasising the need for process review and refinement.

• The significance of clear internal communication about process ‘why’ to avoid actions that inadvertently increase workload.

• Analysing the behavioural impacts of traditional KPIs like average handle time, which agents may game.

• Handling unplanned behaviours such as muting calls or re-routing cases to meet targets.

• The necessity of establishing realistic, achievable targets to motivate genuine performance rather than shortcuts.

• Recognising that the nature of caseloads is evolving with technology, including AI and self-service, affecting metrics like average handling time.

• The importance of a granular, real-time approach to metrics like service levels for better operational agility.

• The role of journey segmentation, recognising diverse customer needs, and differentiating service channels accordingly.

• The influence of cross-channel communication, and understanding customer behaviour to improve support experience.

• Ensuring metrics support positive behavioural change, minimise gaming, and align with organisational goals.

Podcast Description
This podcast explores the critical importance of data, KPIs, and process management in contact centre and customer experience operations. With insights from industry practitioners, it discusses how metrics can be misleading without proper process control, how behavioural impacts influence performance, and the need for sophisticated measurement strategies. Topics include the importance of quality assurance across systems, effective communication of process rationale, balancing granular real-time data with broader operational trends, and tailoring customer support channels to diverse needs. The podcast aims to equip senior managers with practical approaches to optimise their performance measurement frameworks, foster a customer-centric culture, and implement sustainable improvements in complex service environments.