In the fast-paced world of customer service and technical support, understanding how your team spends their time is crucial. One valuable tool for this purpose is the “Call Time Detail” report found in the Nexera Executive Insight Dashboard. This report provides a detailed look at the percentage of hours technicians spend on live customer calls, offering essential insights into their productivity and customer service focus. Here’s why tracking and understanding this metric is so important.
Key Components of the “Call Time Detail” Report
- Percentage of Time with Customers
The primary metric in the “Call Time Detail” report is the percentage of hours technicians spend on live customer calls. This figure is vital for evaluating the efficiency of your technical team and their dedication to customer-facing activities. A higher percentage indicates a more customer-centric approach, which can lead to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Available Hours Calculation
To determine the percentage of time spent on customer calls, the report first calculates each technician’s available hours. This is done by multiplying the number of days worked by an 8-hour workday. For example, if a technician worked 20 days in a month, their available hours would be 160 (20 days x 8 hours/day).
- Inclusion Criteria for Technicians
The report focuses on technicians actively engaged in customer service. Specialized technicians, field supervisors, and installation techs are excluded unless they are active in the Tech Call Report. Dealer management can choose which technicians to include or exclude from this report, ensuring the data accurately reflects the team’s performance
- Exclusion of Administrative Activities
Administrative tasks are not included in the call time report. The emphasis is on live serialized equipment activities, such as setup, installation, and network calls recorded with a live serial number in the ERP system. This ensures the report reflects only customer-facing work.
Example of Report Insights
For instance, a report might show that a dealer’s active technicians spent 57% of their time on live customer calls in a month. This metric helps identify areas for improvement and highlights the cost of unaccounted time, calculated at a burden rate (e.g., $60.00 per hour). While this unaccounted time might include necessary administrative tasks, it is not reflected in the call time report.
Goals and Considerations
- Call Time Percentage Goal
The target for call time percentage is generally set at 85%. However, this can fluctuate due to seasonal variations. Months like June, July, August, and December often see lower call time percentages.
- Impact of External Factors
External factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can significantly affect call time percentages. For instance, during the pandemic, the percentage dropped to the low 30% range but has since been recovering.
- Performance Metrics
As of June 2024, only 4% of dealers achieved over 85% effective time, with 12% reaching 80% or higher. The average for all dealers was 60.2%. These metrics highlight the challenges and potential areas for improvement in technician performance.
The Importance of Tracking and Understanding Call Time
Monitoring and understanding the “Call Time Detail” report can significantly impact the efficiency and customer service focus of your technical workforce. Here are some key benefits:
- Enhancing Customer Satisfaction
By ensuring technicians spend a high percentage of their time on customer-facing activities, you can improve the quality of service and increase customer satisfaction. Customers appreciate prompt and dedicated attention, which can lead to higher retention rates and positive word-of-mouth referrals.
- Identifying Training and Development Needs
The report helps identify technicians who may need additional training or support. If a technician’s call time percentage is low, it could indicate they are struggling with certain tasks or require more guidance on customer interactions. Targeted training can enhance their skills and boost overall team performance.
- Optimizing Resource Allocation
Understanding how technicians spend their time allows for better resource allocation. If certain technicians are consistently spending less time on customer calls, you might need to adjust workloads or reassign tasks to ensure a more balanced and effective use of your team’s capabilities.
- Improving Operational Efficiency
By tracking call time, you can identify inefficiencies in your processes. For example, if a significant amount of time is unaccounted for or spent on administrative tasks, you can streamline procedures to reduce this time and increase the focus on customer service.
- Setting Realistic and Achievable Goals
The insights from the “Call Time Detail” report help set realistic and achievable goals for your team. By understanding the factors that influence call time percentages, such as seasonal variations and external events, you can create more effective strategies to reach your targets.
- Data-Driven Decision Making
Having accurate data on technician performance enables data-driven decision-making. You can make informed choices about hiring, training, and resource allocation, leading to better overall performance and a more efficient operation.
The “Call Time Detail” report in the Nexera Executive Insight Dashboard is a powerful tool for understanding and optimizing technician performance. By tracking the percentage of hours spent on live customer calls, you can enhance customer satisfaction, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions that benefit your business. Regularly monitoring this report helps ensure your technical team is focused on delivering exceptional customer service and operating at peak efficiency.
