What are Customer Experience Metrics?

Customer experience metrics are measures of a brand's effectiveness at shaping customer sentiment and their expectations regarding a business. Just as customer experience is a holistic view of a customer's journey and entire relationship with an organization, customer experience metrics are an intricate collection of key performance indicators (KPIs). No single metric can capture the rich, multifaceted nature of customer experience.

Companies often use a blend of the following popular customer experience (CX) metrics to gauge how well they are positively impacting customer opinions and meeting customer expectations:

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores

The customer satisfaction score measures customer experience and satisfaction with specific facets of the business within a certain period. To gauge the level of satisfaction among customers, companies distribute CSAT surveys following crucial touchpoints in the customer journey. Its focused nature makes CSAT valuable as a transactional metric, but it should be used alongside other metrics to paint a broader picture.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

NPS is a key performance indicator that measures the likelihood of a customer recommending a brand to friends and family and is correlated with customer loyalty and retention rates.

Customer Effort Score (CES)

CES measures a customer's effort while interacting with a business. Given that customers seek very low-effort transactions, CES becomes an important KPI in the company's customer experience metrics.

Customer Churn Rate

Customer churn is a trailing indicator that signals whether customer experience is impacting the customer retention rate positively or negatively.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

CLV measures the potential customer's lifetime value by considering acquisition costs and revenue. When CLV sees an upswing, it often implies that the customer experience and satisfaction score have improved.

Contact center KPIs that can impact customer experience metrics

As many would agree, customer service interactions can significantly sway the overall customer experience and customer sentiment. To ensure this impact leans towards a positive experience, contact centers should concentrate on the following KPIs:

First contact resolution (FCR) rates: When a customer's issue is resolved on the first contact, it improves their customer effort score and their overall satisfaction. FCR rates reflect how effective support teams are in their roles.

Average speed to answer (ASA): ASA is a traditional contact center metric that measures the average resolution time, gauging how long customers must wait before connecting with an agent. Long wait times can contribute to customer churn and negatively affect the overall customer experience.

Self-service success rates: Self-service offers speed and convenience to the customer, but it must be successful. Monitoring the percentage of customers able to solve their issues independently helps contact centers understand whether their self-service solutions enhance customer satisfaction or contribute to customer churn.