25 Customer Service KPIs & How to Calculate Them
You might’ve noticed how after talking to your favorite brand’s customer support, they ask you to fill a form or rate them. Sometimes it makes you wonder why and what this rating is even going to do. But when you’re in customer support, you know this information is gold, you need it to keep improving your brand’s support.
That’s exactly what KPIs, or key performance indicators, are for. The survey form itself isn’t a KPI, it’s just the way to collect feedback.
The real KPIs are the numbers you get from it, like CSAT (customer satisfaction score), NPS (net promoter score), or CES (customer effort score). These customer service KPIs help teams track how they’re doing, improve operations, make agents more productive, and understand customer interactions better.
Why Customer Service Metrics Matter
Think of the last time you had good customer service, maybe you were buying headphones at Best Buy, or maybe you needed help on Sephora late at night and live chat saved you. You remember it because it felt quick, easy, and maybe even friendly. Now compare that with a bad customer service experience, waiting on hold for 40 minutes, getting transferred 5 times, and still not getting your issue solved. The difference? That’s what KPIs measure.
According to PwC, 73% of customers say experience drives their buying decisions, but only about half of companies deliver what they’d call good customer service.
That’s a massive gap, and exactly why tracking the right metrics matters.
KPIs aren’t just numbers; they’re a story. They tell you whether your customer support is helping people, frustrating them, or even costing you business. For top CX companies, every metric ties back to one bigger goal: building trust and driving revenue.
25 Customer Service Metrics & KPIs
1. First Response Time (FRT)
Imagine you just bought a laptop online and it won’t turn on. You fire up live chat, and someone replies in 15 seconds. Relief! That fast first message is your First Response Time (FRT). Customers don’t expect miracles right away, but they do want to feel heard instantly.
FRT = Total first response time / Number of resolved tickets
Example: Paul replies in 30 seconds, July in 25 seconds, and Shannon in 15 seconds. That’s 70/3 = 23.3 seconds FRT.
Pro tip: Customers often Google “is Best Buy customer service 24/7?” because quick reassurance matters. If your FRT is long, you’ll lose their patience before you get a chance to help.
2. Average Reply Time
Ever been stuck in a chat loop where the agent takes ages to reply after the first hello? That’s where Average Reply Time kicks in. It’s the average time agents take to reply throughout the entire conversation—not just the first message.
Formula: Average reply time = Total reply time / Number of replies
Imagine texting a friend who replies after 3 hours every time. Frustrating, right? Customers feel the same. Brands that use live chat support outsourcing or customer support remote teams often cut down response lag dramatically.
3. Average Resolution Time
This is how long it takes for the problem to be completely solved, not just answered. A customer doesn’t care if you reply fast if you can’t fix the issue.
Average resolution time = Total time taken to solve tickets / Number of tickets resolved
Example: Sarah works an 8-hour shift and resolves tickets in about 60 minutes each. That’s her average resolution time. If her brand wants to compete with top CX companies, shaving off even 10 minutes can make a difference.
4. First Contact Resolution (FCR)
How many times do you have to go back and forth with support before your problem is solved? One and done = First Contact Resolution.
FCR = (Tickets resolved in first contact / Total tickets) × 100
Great FCR means good customer service. Low FCR? That’s a recipe for churn. Customer care software often tracks this automatically.
5. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
After chatting with an agent, you get asked to rate the experience on a 1–5 scale. That’s CSAT in action.
CSAT = (Positive responses / Total responses) × 100
Example: If 80 out of 100 customers give a 4 or 5-star rating, CSAT = 80%. High CSAT = best customer service. Low CSAT = time to rethink.
6. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
One question: Would you recommend us to a friend? That’s NPS. It measures loyalty, not just satisfaction.
NPS = % of Promoters – % of Detractors
When you think of top CX companies like Apple or Amazon, their NPS is sky-high, and that’s why they’re leaders.
7. Customer Effort Score (CES)
Customers don’t want to work hard to get help. CES measures how easy it was for them to solve their issue.
CES = Average of all effort scores
If using your support feels harder than doing your taxes, you’ll lose customers. AI customer service software and virtual AI assistants cut effort by handling routine queries instantly.
8. Ticket Volume
Think of Black Friday. Orders are flooding in, support tickets are piling up. That’s your ticket volume. Tracking this helps forecast staffing needs.
Tools like Chat Desk help monitor ticket spikes, while outsource ecommerce customer service ensures no customer is left hanging.
9. Tickets by Channel
Customers don’t just email anymore. They DM you on Instagram, drop messages on chat, or call. Knowing which channel they prefer helps allocate resources.
Example: A clothing brand might notice that best email support is most popular during weekdays, while chat spikes on weekends.
10.Backlog of Tickets
Picture this: it’s Monday morning, and your support inbox already looks like a mountain. That’s your backlog, the tickets waiting to be resolved.
Formula: Backlog = Unresolved tickets at the end of the period
A big backlog usually means agents are overloaded or processes aren’t smooth. The best customer support teams track this KPI to spot bottlenecks before customers start complaining.
11.Abandoned Call Rate
Ever called a brand and hung up after endless hold music? That’s an abandoned call. It’s measured by how many people drop off before talking to an agent.
Abandoned call rate = (Abandoned calls / Total incoming calls) × 100
If this number is high, customers are frustrated before they even get help, never a good sign for customer experience.
12.Average Handle Time (AHT)
This metric covers the full journey of a call or chat, from “hello” to “thanks, bye.” It includes talk time, hold time, and any after-work notes.
AHT = (Total talk + total hold + follow-up time) / Total tickets
AHT doesn’t mean you should rush. The goal is efficiency without sacrificing empathy. Imagine an agent solving issues fast but leaving customers feeling ignored, not good. Balance is key.
13.Peak Hour Traffic
Support isn’t steady all day. Maybe you get slammed during lunch breaks or right after office hours. Tracking peak hour traffic helps you plan staffing.
Example: An ecommerce brand may see ticket surges at 8 PM when people are shopping. Smart CX teams use this KPI to ensure enough agents are online at busy times.
14.Self-Service Usage
Knowledge bases, FAQs, and AI chatbots aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re lifesavers. This metric shows how many customers solve problems themselves without contacting support.
Higher self-service usage usually means your resources are working and customers love being independent. Lower usage? Time to update those FAQs.
15.Customer Retention Rate
Winning new customers is great. But keeping them? That’s where the money is. Retention rate tells you how many stick around.
Retention = ((Customers at end – New customers) / Customers at start) × 100
It’s one of the most powerful customer service KPIs because great support = loyal customers.
16.Churn Rate
The flip side of retention is basically the Churn rate. Churn is how many customers leave you.
Churn = (Customers lost / Total customers at start) × 100
If churn spikes, it’s a red flag, support might not be meeting expectations.
17.Escalation Rate
Ever had your ticket passed to a “supervisor”? That’s escalation. This KPI measures how many issues agents couldn’t solve themselves.
High escalation means agents may need more training, or systems aren’t giving them the right tools. So ensure you train your agents before onboarding them most importantly equip them with the right tools.
18.SLA Compliance Rate
Most brands promise to reply within a certain time (say 24 hours). SLA compliance tracks how often you actually keep that promise.
SLA rate = (Tickets within SLA / Total tickets) × 100
Tip:- Falling short too often? Customers lose trust fast.
19.Cost per Resolution
Behind every solved ticket, there’s a cost, agent salaries, software, and time. Cost per resolution tracks how much you’re spending per solved issue.
Lower cost per resolution (without hurting quality) = higher efficiency.
20.Agent Utilization Rate
This looks at how much of an agent’s workday is spent actively helping customers vs. idle time.
Too low means underutilization. Too high? Burnout. The sweet spot is a balance that keeps both customers and employees happy.
21.Agent Productivity Score
Think of it as a report card for agents. It factors in tickets resolved, quality scores, and sometimes even upsell opportunities closed.
High productivity scores show agents are efficient and effective.
22.Employee Satisfaction Score
Happy employees = happy customers.
Brands that track employee KPIs know that burnt-out, disengaged agents can never deliver world-class customer service. So try and keep your employees happy and see them do wonders for your support.
23.Quality Assurance Score
Ever had a manager review your calls or chats (and yes, you probably hated being put on the spot)? That’s Quality Assurance (QA). It’s how teams score agents on empathy, accuracy, and whether they’re sticking to the right processes.
QA scores are there to keep things consistent across the board. Platforms like kim.cc go a step further by giving insights not just into tickets, but also into your agents, helping teams understand where they’re shining and where they can improve.
Pro tip: Think of QA as a report card you actually use to grow, not one you shove in a drawer.
24.Upsell/Cross-sell Rate from Support
Support isn’t just about solving problems. Sometimes, it’s about spotting the right opportunity, like suggesting a laptop bag when someone calls about their new laptop.
This KPI shows how often support interactions drive additional revenue and this skill doesn't come overnight you need to train your employees/agents to upsell and cross sell through any channel possible.
25.Revenue Impact from Support
Finally, the big one, does support actually affect your bottom line? From retaining customers to upselling, this KPI tracks how much revenue your support team directly contributes because at the end of the day it all boils down to REVENUE.
Customer service isn’t a cost center anymore, it’s a growth driver.
If you're looking for ways to improve your customer support here are some tips.
Conclusion
Customer service KPIs are more than just numbers, they’re powerful indicators of how well your support team is performing and how satisfied your customers truly are. By tracking the right metrics, you gain visibility into team efficiency, customer experience, and overall business impact. Instead of treating KPIs as static figures, use them as a guide to identify gaps, optimize processes, and strengthen customer relationships. The end goal isn’t just meeting targets, it’s building a support experience that creates loyal, long-term customers.