How to Complete an Audit on Your Current KPIs

Do you know why you’re measuring the key performance indicators (KPIs) that you use? Or if they’re even serving you well anymore? If not, then it’s high time for an audit!

To help you get started, we asked contact centre expert Matt Riley to walk you through the key steps to follow for a thorough review of your current KPIs.

KPIs Only Matter When They Have a Purpose

In the call centre world, the mention of KPIs elicits mixed emotions.

For some, it’s dread – memories of leaders rattling off stats without context. For others, it’s a yawn at endless dashboards and tick-box reporting.

Yet for many, KPIs are simply a health check – a way of gauging the pulse of both individual performance and the wider centre. 

These reactions are shaped by lived experience. After all, we carry biases from how KPIs were communicated to us, how they were monitored, and whether they felt like fair measures.

Are You Missing the Point?

But the hard truth is KPIs only matter when they have a purpose. Without that, they become vanity metrics – nice-looking numbers to fawn over that mean very little.

The purpose of any KPI should be tied directly to your vision, mission, and values (VMV). If your mission is to deliver exceptional customer service but your metrics are built purely around speed and cost, you’re likely missing the point!

When KPIs are disconnected from VMV, you can hit every target on the dashboard and still fail. That’s why regular KPI reviews are not just a paperwork exercise, they’re an opportunity to ask whether the numbers still reflect what your organization stands for, and whether they’re driving the right behaviours.

Everyone Has a Role to Play in Driving a Shared Vision

Effective reviews aren’t reserved for analysts or senior leaders. Everyone has a role to play, because everyone is contributing towards a shared vision – as one CX leader told me: “It takes a village”.

Frontline Staff

Frontline staff are the starting point. They can explain not only what the numbers show, but why. If your agents can’t tell you what they’re measured on, then those KPIs aren’t being managed effectively.

Stats should be shared throughout the day via a variety of mediums, then reviewed weekly and monthly with agents at sit-down reviews. The key is: don’t be afraid to discuss, help people understand, and challenge where necessary.

For help choosing the best metrics for your agents, read our article: The Top 5 Agent Performance Metrics

Team Managers

Team managers sit at the crossroads of strategy and delivery. They’re stretched in multiple directions, but their ability to communicate KPIs daily, and align them to VMV, makes or breaks performance.

To spot if your team leaders are chasing metrics, read our article: Are Your Team Leaders Too Busy Chasing Metrics?

Leadership Teams

Leadership teams are needed to ensure alignment across departments.

You don’t need to know the details of every function, but you do need a joined-up approach that ensures marketing, operations, and customer care are pulling in the same direction – even when you seemingly have different goals.

Analysts and QA Teams

Analysts and QA teams provide accuracy, spot anomalies, and interpret data. Whether it’s identifying dialler inefficiencies, uncovering potential abuse, or ensuring compliance, they ensure the data you act on can be trusted.

Customers

And then there are the customers themselves. Their feedback – both numerical (CSAT, NPS) and qualitative (verbatim comments) – can provide some of the richest insight of all.

When I look back on my own experience, some of the most valuable insights didn’t come from dashboards. They came from conversations with agents and team leaders.

Their subjective takes often pointed me towards anomalies in the data – places where we needed to dig deeper, or sometimes dispel myths altogether.

For advice on the top CX KPIs you should be measuring, read our article: Top 10 Customer Experience KPIs

The 5 Key Data Sources to Gather

To complete a thorough review, you next need to gather a variety of key data sources, including:

1. Customer Feedback

Scores alone are not enough; the written comments explain why. Proactive outbound calls can also add context, surfacing issues before they escalate.

2. Employee Feedback

Annual surveys are a blunt tool, often mistrusted and misguided.

Regular feedback loops, where staff actually see their input acted on, drive far more value. Better still, let employees be the change and see your EX skyrocket.

3. Compliance and Industry Standards

It’s always beneficial to know what “best in class” looks like, but don’t forget your own context and market, and recalibrate expectations accordingly. Ignoring regulation is never an option.

4. Cross-Departmental Metrics

Think where cross-departmental metrics could have an impact too!

For example, if engineers improve first-time fix rates thanks to better diagnostics from the contact centre, everyone’s winning if call volumes drop, delivery costs fall, and CSAT rises!

5. AI-Sourced Insights

Today, AI adds a new layer. From analysing call transcripts to predicting churn, AI surfaces insights faster than any human could.

But the data still needs context. AI can tell you what’s happening – but it can’t always tell you why!

The Key Questions to Ask Your Colleagues

Reviews aren’t about catching people out. They’re about understanding whether KPIs are still serving the business and its strategy.

Once those questions are on the table, the analysis begins.

Numbers Don’t Lie, But They Can Mislead

Trend analysis is the simplest but most powerful tool. Daily, week-on-week, month-on-month or year-on-year comparisons reveal whether performance is sustainable.

Correlation checks can be eye-opening. For example, a review may show a clear link between employee engagement scores and customer retention, and the data makes it obvious.

Benchmarking against competitors highlights whether you’re keeping pace with the market or falling behind.

And finally, root cause analysis uncovers what’s really driving underperformance.

Left unchecked, this could have created regulator fines and serious reputational damage. The lesson: numbers don’t lie, but they can mislead – and they require regular interrogation.

KPI Reviews Should Be Collaborative – Not Combative!

Numbers tell you what. Team exercises uncover why!

Here are some ideas you can try to drive more positive conversations with your colleagues:

The “5 Whys”

Take a KPI – say, a sudden dip in CSAT. The first “why” might be that calls are being rushed. The next “why” reveals that schedules are too tight. Digging further, you discover a recruitment freeze has left the centre short-staffed. By the fifth “why”, you’re no longer treating the symptom but addressing the root cause.

SWOT Analysis

Another approach is to run a SWOT analysis on your KPIs, asking:

For example, strong NPS might be hiding weaknesses in First Contact Resolution that will eventually erode loyalty.

“What If?” Scenario Planning

Scenario planning brings KPIs to life. Ask: “What happens to our FCR if 30% of queries shift to self-service?” The discussion forces the team to think beyond yesterday’s numbers and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.

Cross-Functional Sessions

Finally, cross-functional sessions can break down silos.

Bringing sales, marketing, and operations into the same room often surfaces connections no single department can see. Different viewpoints can help you see outside your own “box”.

Beyond the techniques themselves, these workshops create cultural alignment. When agents understand how their KPIs connect to organizational goals, they stop feeling like “number chasers” and start acting like advocates.

The Do’s and Don’ts of a KPI Audit

A KPI audit is wasted effort if nothing changes. Acting on insights is where the value lies. But action must be measured.

Here are some key do’s and don’ts to help keep momentum:

DO Act Quickly, But DON’T Act Rashly

Momentum is vital. A small improvement made quickly is better than a perfect solution rolled out too late. But don’t overreact to short-term blips. Look for trends before making wholesale changes.

DO Communicate Widely, But DON’T Overload People

Sharing results builds trust and accountability. Agents need to see where their work contributes. But avoid flooding teams with endless updates, because too much noise dilutes the message – or stops it being heard at all.

DO Celebrate Wins, But DON’T Lose Sight of Context

Recognizing success boosts morale and keeps people motivated. Just make sure you link every celebration back to strategy, so it doesn’t feel like empty cheerleading.

DO Assign Accountability, But DON’T Centralize Ownership

Each improvement should have a clear owner. At the same time, accountability should be shared across levels – not hoarded at the top.

DO Use Data as a Guide, But DON’T Let It Replace Judgement

Numbers are powerful, but context and conversation matter more. A dashboard can tell you a call was short; only a conversation reveals whether it was short because the agent solved the issue quickly or cut the customer off.

Drive the Shift From Vanity to Value Metrics

Call centres live and die by their numbers. But success isn’t measured by the numbers alone. It’s measured by whether those numbers reflect your VMV, drive the right behaviours, and ultimately deliver for customers and employees.

When KPI reviews are regular, contextual, and action-driven, they stop being vanity metrics and become value metrics. They catch risks early, highlight opportunities, and create a culture where everyone understands the role they play in success.

The most successful centres aren’t those with the flashiest dashboards. They’re the ones that ask why the numbers matter – and act on what they learn.

Written by: Matt Riley, Experienced Contact Centre Professional

For more information and advice on using KPIs in the contact centre, read these articles next:

• Why “Fair” Remains a Crucial Topic in Meeting KPIs
• Get Ahead of KPI Fluctuations in Your Contact Centre
• 9 Important Team Leader KPIs

Author: Matt Riley
Reviewed by: Xander Freeman