Key Metrics That Matter
Not all metrics are equal. Focus on the ones that connect support performance to business outcomes.
Tier 1: Business Impact Metrics
These metrics directly affect revenue and cost:
Cost Per Resolution Total support cost divided by number of resolved conversations. AI dramatically reduces this.
- Industry average (human): $8-15 per resolution (Source: Gartner)
- AI-assisted: $1-3 per resolution
Customer Retention Impact Measure churn rate for customers who received AI support vs. those who did not. Good support reduces churn by 10-25% (Source: Forrester Research).
Revenue Per Support Interaction Track upsells, cross-sells, and retention saves initiated during support conversations.
Tier 2: Operational Metrics
These measure efficiency:
Resolution Rate Percentage of conversations resolved without human intervention. Target: 60-80%.
First Response Time Time from customer message to first response. AI target: under 5 seconds.
Average Handle Time For conversations requiring human agents, AI copilot should reduce handle time by 30-50%.
Ticket Volume Deflection Conversations the AI resolved that would have been agent tickets. Calculate by comparing pre-AI and post-AI ticket volumes.
Tier 3: Quality Metrics
These ensure you are not sacrificing quality for speed:
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Post-conversation survey scores. AI-handled conversations should match or exceed human CSAT.
First Contact Resolution (FCR) Percentage of issues resolved in the first interaction. Higher is better.
Escalation Quality When the AI escalates, does it provide sufficient context? Measure by agent satisfaction with AI handoffs.
Setting Up Tracking
For each metric, define:
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| What to measure | Cost per resolution |
| Data source | Billing + conversation data |
| Calculation | Monthly support cost / conversations resolved |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Target | Under $3 |
| Owner | Support Operations Manager |
Avoiding Vanity Metrics
Ignore metrics that look good but do not indicate value:
- Total messages sent (volume is not value)
- Bot availability uptime (99.9% means nothing if answers are wrong)
- Number of articles (quantity over quality)
Next up: Building a real-time analytics dashboard for your support metrics.