Contact Center Glossary
Key terms and definitions for effective customer service operations
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Agent analytics
What is Agent Analytics? Agent Analytics is the systematic collection and analysis of performance data related to individual customer service representatives. Unlike “Contact Center Analytics,” which looks at the entire operation, agent analytics zooms in on specific behaviors, efficiency, and quality of service provided … Read more
Agent Coaching
What Is Agent Coaching? Agent coaching is a structured process of delivering targeted, data-backed feedback and development guidance to contact center agents to systematically improve their skills, customer handling, and overall performance. Why Is Agent Coaching Important for Contact Centers? Agent coaching sits at … Read more
Agent Performance
Agent Performance is the measurement of how effectively a representative resolves inquiries to directly improve the customer experience. It balances operational efficiency with human empathy to drive long-term brand loyalty. Call Center Agent Performance Metrics and KPIs Average Handle Time (AHT) Average Talk Time … Read more
Agent Turnover Rate
What Is Agent Turnover Rate? Agent turnover rate is the percentage of contact center agents who leave their roles within a defined time period, reflecting workforce stability and the operational health of a contact center. Why is agent turnover rate important for contact centers? … Read more
Agentic AI
What is agentic AI? Most AI systems in use today are reactive. You give them an input, they produce an output. Agentic AI works differently. An agentic AI system is given a goal and then figures out, on its own, what sequence of actions … Read more
Angry Customer
What is an angry customer? An angry customer is not simply someone who is unhappy. Anger is an escalation, a signal that a customer has moved past disappointment and into active frustration. In a contact center context, this manifests as raised tone, clipped language, … Read more
Arrival rates
Arrival Rate is the measurement of how many customers contact a support center within a specific period. How to Calculate Call Arrival Rate To calculate this rate, you need two pieces of information: the total number of incoming contacts and the total time passed. … Read more
Automated quality management
What is automated quality management? Traditional call center quality assurance relies on human evaluators who manually listen to and score a small sample of calls, typically 1 to 5% of total interactions. AQM changes this entirely. By leveraging AI and speech analytics technology, AQM … Read more
Average Speed of Answer (ASA)
What is the average speed of answer (ASA)? Average Speed of Answer (ASA) is a contact center metric that measures the average amount of time a customer waits in the queue before an agent picks up their call. It is one of the most … Read more
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call abandonment rate
What is call abandonment rate? When a customer calls a contact center and hangs up before speaking to an agent, that interaction is recorded as an abandoned call. Call abandonment rate expresses how often this happens as a proportion of all incoming calls, giving … Read more
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What is After Call Work (ACW)?
After Call Work (ACW) refers to the tasks completed by a contact center agent immediately following a customer interaction. This phase is part of the total “Average Handle Time” (AHT). While an agent is in the ACW state, they are typically unavailable to handle … Read more