Glossary: Core Customer Support Metrics

To run a data-driven customer service department, you must measure the right key performance indicators (KPIs).

This glossary outlines the most common support metrics, how to calculate them, and standard industry benchmarks.

1. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

• What it is: Measures a customer’s immediate satisfaction with a specific support interaction.
• How it’s measured: A survey sent immediately after a ticket is closed asking: “How would you rate the support you received today?” (Usually on a scale of 1 to 5, from Very Unsatisfied to Very Satisfied).
• Formula: $$\text{CSAT (%)} = \left( \frac{\text{Number of Positive Ratings (4 & 5)}}{\text{Total Number of Responses}} \right) \times 100$$
• Industry Benchmark: 80% – 90% (Varies by industry; SaaS is typically higher, e.g., 85%+).

2. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

• What it is: Measures long-term customer loyalty and how likely they are to recommend your product/company to others.
• How it’s measured: A recurring survey (e.g., quarterly) asking: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?”
  • Promoters: Score 9–10 (Loyal fans).
  • Passives: Score 7–8 (Satisfied but unenthusiastic).
  • Detractors: Score 0–6 (Unhappy customers).
• Formula: $$\text{NPS} = % \text{ of Promoters} - % \text{ of Detractors}$$ (NPS is expressed as a number between -100 and +100, not a percentage).
• Industry Benchmark: Anything above +30 is good; above +50 is excellent.

3. First Response Time (FRT)

• What it is: The time between a customer submitting a support request and an agent sending the first human response. (Automated auto-responders do not count).
• Formula: $$\text{FRT} = \frac{\text{Total Time Elapsed Before First Responses}}{\text{Total Number of Resolved Tickets}}$$
• Industry Benchmark:
  • Email: < 24 hours (SaaS target is often < 2 hours).
  • Live Chat: < 1 minute.
  • Social Media: < 1 hour.

4. First Contact Resolution (FCR)

• What it is: The percentage of tickets resolved in a single response cycle (no back-and-forth required).
• Formula: $$\text{FCR (%)} = \left( \frac{\text{Number of Tickets Resolved in 1 Interaction}}{\text{Total Number of Tickets Resolved}} \right) \times 100$$
• Why it matters: FCR is the single biggest driver of high CSAT scores. Customers hate having to reply multiple times to get an answer.
• Industry Benchmark: 70% – 75%.

5. Customer Effort Score (CES)

• What it is: Measures how easy it was for the customer to get their problem solved.
• How it’s measured: A survey asking: “To what extent do you agree with the following statement: The company made it easy for me to handle my issue.” (1 to 7 scale).
• Why it matters: High customer effort is the number one driver of customer disloyalty.
• Industry Benchmark: Average score of 5.5 or higher on a 7-point scale.

6. Service Level Agreement (SLA) Compliance

• What it is: The percentage of tickets that were responded to or resolved within your promised time limits (e.g., promising enterprise clients a response within 4 hours).
• Formula: $$\text{SLA Compliance (%)} = \left( \frac{\text{Number of Tickets Met Within SLA Target}}{\text{Total Number of SLA-eligible Tickets}} \right) \times 100$$
• Industry Benchmark: 95% or higher.

7. Ticket Deflection Rate

• What it is: The percentage of customers who find answers themselves (e.g., in your GitBook help center) without opening a ticket.
• Why it matters: Higher deflection rates mean your team doesn’t have to hire as many agents as your user base grows.
• Formula: $$\text{Deflection Rate (%)} = \left( \frac{\text{Help Center Unique Visitors who DID NOT create a ticket}}{\text{Total Help Center Unique Visitors}} \right) \times 100$$