Performance metrics are essential for tracking success, but they don’t always tell the full story.
A “watermelon metric” looks green on the surface—suggesting everything is on track—but when examined closely, it reveals hidden issues beneath the surface.
To find out more, we asked Sarah Morgan, Luceat Consulting, to explore the concept of Watermelon Metrics and why contact centres need to be mindful of the metrics they use.
Video: Beware of Watermelon Metrics
Watch the video below to hear Sarah explain the concept of Watermelon Metrics and why contact centres need to be mindful of the metrics they use:
With thanks to Sarah Morgan, Luceat Consulting, for contributing to this video.
This video was recorded when Sarah was a panellist on our 2022 webinar ‘Building a Productive and Efficient Contact Centre ‘
What Is a Watermelon Metric?
A watermelon metric is a key performance indicator (KPI) that appears positive at first glance but masks underlying problems.
“Watermelon metrics, which is where the outside, so the visible metrics and the KPIs, look like everything is green. When you get underneath the covers, actually things aren’t meeting the customer’s needs or the businesses need, so they’re actually red.”
On reports, these metrics may show as “green,” indicating targets are met, yet customer satisfaction or business needs may not actually be fulfilled.
Why Do Watermelon Metrics Occur?
Teams may focus on achieving specific KPIs – such as average handling time or call wait time – without considering whether they truly reflect customer experience, as Sarah explains:
“It can be quite easy within the team to look at your metrics, your KPIs and ensure that they are green to make sure that it looks good. But when you dig underneath, you can see that actually there’s a lot of red there and there were a lot of issues for customers.
So if you’re only measuring average handling time or you’re only measuring call wait time, it’s very easy to manage those metrics and to produce a green report.
But are you really meeting the customer’s needs and the customer’s outcomes? No. So it’s what I would call a watermelon metric at that point.”
While these numbers may look good on paper, customers may still face unresolved issues, long-term dissatisfaction, or service inefficiencies.
The Importance of Looking Beyond the Surface
Relying solely on surface-level metrics can lead to misleading conclusions. Contact centres must dig deeper, combining quantitative data with qualitative insights to ensure they are delivering real value.
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Author: Sarah Morgan
Reviewed by: Robyn Coppell
Published On: 11th May 2022 - Last modified: 1st May 2025
Read more about - Video, Editor's Picks, Measurement, Metrics, Sarah Morgan, Team Management, Videos
