10 Contact Center Best Practices

In the last few years, digital channels have seen tremendous growth. People can go online to find answers, send a text, chat with an AI agent, or even reach out on social media.

But while the industry’s focus has shifted to text-based communications, contact centers aren’t going anywhere.

Since customers are still dialing, we’ve put together some best practices to help call center agents shine.

1. Listen

Listening is critical for success in contact centers. It needs to be said because it sometimes conflicts with other productivity goals. Take the time to listen to a customer’s complaints before diving into a script. Not only will you be better equipped to solve their problems (without a bunch of clarifying questions), but you also give the customer a chance to vent their frustrations and feel heard.

2. Demonstrate Empathy

There’s a big gap between customer expectations and reality.

Make sure to use phrases like “I understand” or try repeating back what your customer said to show you were listening. These types of responses are especially important over the phone when you can’t rely on visual cues like eye contact and head nodding.

3. Go off Script

Scripts are great tools to help call center agents solve customer problems, but they can sound stiff and stale. Customers can tell when you’re reading from a script, and it can immediately put a wall up between you.

While it’s helpful to follow the general outline to ensure you don’t miss any important information, inject some of your own personality and mannerisms into it.

4. Reduce Wait times

Customers have come to expect quick resolutions to their problems, especially when choosing to call customer service over other channels.

The truth is, customers don’t want to speak with multiple people to solve their problems. It often means they have to repeat themselves (something customers don’t like), and it increases the time they spend on hold.

Reducing wait times and limiting transfers largely comes down to infrastructure, not individual agents. Key improvements include a centralized knowledge base, modern contact center software, intelligent call routing, and thorough agent training. Together, these ensure customers reach the right resource quickly and agents have the information they need to resolve issues faster.

5. Prepare to Tackle Complex Issues

Call centers aren’t the hub for information anymore. Online communications are growing in popularity.

Between easily accessible information and various other communication channels, making a phone call isn’t the go-to reflex for many customers.

So what does that mean for call center agents? You need to be prepared for anything.

In addition to knowing your products and services inside out, consider conflict resolution training to help upset customers.

Keep these steps in mind when you have to deal with an angry customer:

• Stay calm: Don’t take it personally or respond defensively.
  
• Show empathy: Acknowledge their frustration and listen.
  
• Avoid arguing: Facts can wait until emotions cool.
  
• Take responsibility: Apologize when appropriate.
  
• Offer a solution: Resolve the issue within your guidelines or escalate if needed.

Sometimes it’s walking them through a difficult application setup. Other times, it’s offering a replacement product when there’s a failure. Ask call center supervisors for guidance on what’s acceptable to offer a customer to keep them coming back.

6. Personalize Interactions

Customers expect to be treated like individuals, not ticket numbers. Personalization means using context to tailor responses and avoid forcing customers to repeat themselves. When agents understand who they’re talking to and why they’re reaching out, conversations feel faster, more relevant, and more human.

7. Offer Omnichannel Support

Offering omnichannel support ensures customers can move seamlessly between text, chat, social, and voice without losing context. Consistency across channels reduces friction, shortens resolution times, and creates a more cohesive customer experience.

8. Invest in Training

Even the best tools can’t compensate for underprepared agents. Ongoing training helps agents handle complex situations, use technology effectively, and communicate with confidence. Well-trained teams resolve issues faster, deliver better experiences, and are far more likely to stay engaged and retained.

9. Set Clear Goals & KPIs

Without clear goals, it’s impossible to know what success looks like. Defining KPIs—such as CSAT, first contact resolution, and response time—helps teams focus on what matters most. Clear benchmarks also make it easier to identify gaps, measure progress, and continuously improve performance.

10. Implement Agentic AI

Agentic AI enables contact centers to move beyond basic automation by assigning specialized AI agents to handle specific tasks and outcomes. From resolving common inquiries in real time to assisting human agents with context and recommendations, agentic AI improves efficiency, consistency, and customer satisfaction—without sacrificing the human touch.

Contact Center Metrics to Track

Tracking the right contact center metrics is key to improving both agent performance and customer experience. Without clear benchmarks and data-driven insights, even the most talented teams can fall short of their goals. By focusing on a core set of metrics, you’ll be able to pinpoint areas for improvement, streamline operations, and deliver consistently excellent service.

While every organization has its unique needs, these five foundational contact center performance metrics offer a well-rounded view of how your team is doing and where to optimize. Mastering these metrics will help you drive measurable gains in efficiency, satisfaction, and long-term loyalty.

Average Handle Time (AHT)

Formula: AHT = (Talk Time + Hold Time + After-Call Work Time) / Total Number of Calls

Average Handle Time (AHT) is one of the most widely used contact center metrics. It reflects the total amount of time agents spend handling customer inquiries, from the initial greeting to the final documentation. While lower AHT often signals greater efficiency, it’s important to strike a balance. An AHT that’s too low may indicate rushed interactions that compromise quality.

To optimize AHT without sacrificing customer satisfaction:

• Build out a robust internal knowledge base so agents can find answers quickly.
• Equip your team with real-time guidance tools to reduce time spent searching for solutions.
• Automate repetitive tasks such as call summaries or ticket categorization.

Improving AHT isn’t just about speed, it’s about empowering agents to resolve issues quickly and thoroughly.

First Call Resolution (FCR)

Formula: FCR = (Number of Issues Resolved on First Contact / Total Number of Issues) × 100

First Call Resolution (FCR) measures your team’s ability to resolve customer issues during the first interaction, no callbacks or follow-ups required. High FCR is often associated with increased customer satisfaction, reduced operating costs, and stronger brand loyalty.

Improving this critical contact center performance metric requires a combination of tools, training, and systemic insight:

• Train agents to handle complex issues confidently and independently.
• Analyze repeat calls to uncover and fix recurring problems.

Ultimately, a higher FCR means fewer touchpoints for the customer and a more efficient operation for your team.

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

Formula: CSAT = (Number of Satisfied Customers / Total Survey Responses) × 100

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) is a direct reflection of how your team is perceived. Typically gathered through post-interaction surveys, CSAT gives customers the opportunity to rate their experience, often with a simple question like, “How satisfied were you with your support today?”

To increase CSAT:

• Send surveys immediately after the interaction while the experience is still fresh.
• Follow up on negative responses to identify coaching opportunities and process improvements.
• Focus on empathy and soft skills during training to build a stronger rapport with customers.

CSAT is a leading indicator of your team’s emotional impact on customers and a critical input into broader customer experience strategies.

Service Level

Formula: Service Level = (Calls Answered Within Threshold / Total Calls Answered) × 100

Service level tracks how quickly your team is answering incoming calls. Most contact centers set a goal like answering 80% of calls within 20 seconds. Meeting or exceeding your target helps reduce call abandonment and ensures customers feel heard.

To stay on top of this key contact center metric:

• Improve forecasting accuracy to anticipate spikes in demand.
• Adjust staffing in real-time to avoid undercoverage.
• Use interactive voice response (IVR) systems to route calls more efficiently.

When service levels drop, customer frustration rises. That’s why maintaining high availability is so critical.

Abandonment Rate

Formula: Abandonment Rate = (Abandoned Calls / Total Incoming Calls) × 100

Abandonment rate tells you how many customers hang up before ever reaching a live agent. A high abandonment rate is often a red flag that wait times are too long, or that your system isn’t meeting customers where they are.

To reduce abandonment:

• Offer virtual hold or scheduled callback options to eliminate long waits.
• Display estimated wait times so customers know what to expect.
• Implement better routing or self-service tools to resolve simple issues faster.

Monitoring abandonment closely is essential for understanding both your staffing efficiency and overall contact center performance.

Key Next Steps

Implementing contact center best practices and the right contact center metrics lays the groundwork for stronger agent performance and happier customers. But metrics alone aren’t enough. The real impact comes from acting on those insights; adjusting workflows, coaching agents, and evolving your strategy over time.

Set a regular cadence for reviewing performance, and benchmark your results against industry standards and internal goals. Whether you’re focused on voice support or expanding into contact center chat metrics, aligning your KPIs with business outcomes will keep your operation running at peak efficiency.

Call Center Agents are the Frontline

Call centers are still the backbone of the customer service industry. And the most important thing to remember as a call center agent is this: You are your company’s representative.

Follow company policy, but don’t stop there. Put these best practices to use to deliver stellar customer service experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)