Service Desk KPIs. Measuring performance with 15 essential metrics.

Your service desk performance can make or break your business.

Yet, many organizations still need help to measure what truly matters. They track vanity metrics that don’t move the needle or get lost in data without actionable insights.

It’s time to focus on what truly matters.

In this blog post, we’ll share 15 service desk KPIs that will help you:

Ready to take your service desk to the next level? Let’s dive in.

Customer support is more difficult than ever. 87% of support teams in 2024 say customer service expectations have increased in the past year. 

How to navigate through these demands? First, you can’t judge a service desk and customer satisfaction by tickets alone. The true measure of success lies in KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). These go beyond raw numbers to show how well the desk meets your business goals. Think of them as guideposts. They track things like customer satisfaction and resolution rates. As a result, you get a clear picture of how happy your users are and how efficiently your agents resolve issues.

How do you tell if your help desk delivers? The answer lies in understanding the difference between help desk metrics and KPIs. Let’s see how they can help you measure your support service’s success. 

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are a specific subset of help desk metrics. They tie directly to your overall business goals. KPIs are actionable and tell you how well your help desk contributes to those goals. 

Examples of service desk KPIs include:

These data points track various aspects of your help desk’s metrics performance. They give a general picture of how the service desk is functioning. Here are the 5 key performance indicators for customer service: 

Setting up a KPI program provides valuable insights into your service desk’s performance. Metrics help identify bottlenecks and areas where your team can improve processes. The specific data allows you to make informed decisions about resources or technology. You can identify trends and predict potential issues. This enables proactive steps to optimize your service. For example, you can change agent workflows by analyzing the average handle time. This will help them work more efficiently in the future. 

What’s more, with KPIs you focus on what matters. They help you prioritize what’s important and focus on the metrics that align with business goals. Knowing this, you can make sure your service desk delivers real value to the organization.

A help desk is full of things that can be measured, but not all metrics make good KPIs. By tracking the right ones, you can identify areas for improvement. Clearly defined goals help optimize resource allocation and improve customer experience.

What it is: First response time measures how quickly a support agent responds to a new support process ticket.

Why it matters: A fast first response sets a positive tone for the entire support experience. It lets people know their request has been received and is being addressed. This shows you value their time and are committed to getting them the help they need. A short first response time indicates a high-quality support team.

How to measure it: Measure the time difference between when a support ticket is submitted and when an agent first reaches out. No matter if it’s an email reply, a chat message, or a phone call. Monitoring this metric lets you see what needs optimization and ensure your team offers a responsive service.

What it is: Resolution time measures the time it takes to completely resolve a support ticket.

Why it matters: Resolution time is a key indicator of your agents’ effectiveness. Faster resolution times translate to happier customers and employees. All in all, they get their issues addressed quickly. It minimizes negative impact, allowing them to return to work or enjoy your product.

How to measure it: Track the time difference between when a ticket is submitted and when it’s marked as “resolved” in your service desk system. This includes the time spent on communication, troubleshooting, and implementing the solution. 

What it is: Ticket volume refers to the number of support tickets your team receives in a given period. This could be daily, weekly, monthly, or even hourly depending on your needs.

Why it matters: Ticket volume helps you understand the workload of your support team. High volume can indicate busy periods. It helps you spot areas where your product or service might need improvement.

How to measure it: Most service desk software keeps track of ticket volume automatically. You can easily see how many tickets are submitted within your chosen timeframe. Sometimes it can get problematic when your agents work on multiple projects at once. In Jira Service Management with Queues for Jira & JSM app, you can display cross-project request queues in a single location. It makes it easier to track your agents’ ticket volume.

What it is: The CSAT score is a direct way to measure how happy your customers are with the support they receive.

Why it matters: Happy customers are loyal customers! A high CSAT score means your support team is providing a positive experience.

How to measure it: Use surveys after support to ask customers if they are satisfied. A simple question like “How satisfied were you with the help you received?” with answer choices ranging from “Very Dissatisfied” to “Very Satisfied” gives you a quick and clear picture.

What it is: The Net Promoter Score (NPS) goes beyond satisfaction. It measures how likely your customers are to recommend your service to others.

Why it matters: Loyal customers who recommend your service are the best advertisements! A high NPS score indicates your support team is not just solving problems. It means your agents are also creating positive experiences.

How to measure it: NPS uses a single survey question: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our support service to a friend or colleague?”

Here’s the magic: Subtract the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters. A positive NPS score indicates you have more Promoters than Detractors. It’s a good sign for your support team.

We can say that by tracking NPS, you turn satisfied customers into enthusiastic promoters.

What it is: The First Contact Resolution (FCR) rate measures how often your support team resolves a customer issue on the initial contact. It means: without needing further back-and-forth communication.

Why it matters: A high FCR is a win-win. It saves customers time and frustration by getting their problems fixed quickly. It also frees up your agents to focus on more complex issues.

How to measure it: Divide the number of tickets resolved on the first contact by the total number of tickets received. Multiply by 100 to get a percentage. For example, if 80 tickets were resolved on the first contact out of 100 total tickets, your FCR would be 80%.

The best thing you can do is focus on agents’ knowledge and needs: 

Let’s take a look at an example. You observe a problem when your agents and customers go back and forth with communication. You review the request forms and see they are confusing, with many fields left empty, causing agents to ask additional questions. The solution is to provide clear request forms that display only the fields needed to resolve the problem. This is what you get with the Extension for Jira Service Management app. 

Extension allows custom forms that display only the necessary fields based on previous selections. The plugin also organizes related ticket information into bundles. Thanks to this, request forms become intuitive and easy to comprehend. 

Voila! You have now added dynamic fields to your form. You can take it a step further by:

What it is: Agent Utilization Rate measures the percentage of time your agents spend actively working on customer issues. This includes calls, emails, chats, and other service desk tasks.

Why it matters: A healthy rate ensures your team engages and is efficient. It can also reveal staffing imbalances:

How to measure it: Select a timeframe (e.g. a week or month) to analyze. Then, look for reports showing total work time and time spent on customer service tasks. Use your service desk software for this purpose to make sure you won’t miss anything. To calculate the rate, divide customer service time by total work time and multiply by 100 to get a percentage.

What it is: Average Handle Time (AHT) measures the typical duration of a customer support call. It includes talking time, hold time, and after-call work.

Why it matters: A healthy AHT strikes a balance between efficiency and quality service. Faster call resolution times lead to happier customers who appreciate not being stuck on the phone for extended periods. However, rushing through calls to achieve a lower AHT shouldn’t come at the expense of addressing the customer’s issue. A well-trained agent should be able to resolve the problem effectively within a reasonable timeframe.

How to measure it: Calculating your AHT is a straightforward process. Here’s what you need to do:

For example, if your agents spent a total of 100 hours on calls and handled 50 calls last week, your AHT would be 2 hours per call (100 hours / 50 calls).

What it is: The ticket backlog is the number of unresolved tickets that have accumulated over time. It’s a stack of pending issues waiting to be addressed.

Why it matters: A high backlog leads to longer wait times for customers. It also increases pressure on your support team. Monitoring your backlog helps you make sure you allocate resources effectively and keep it under control.

How to measure it: Simply track the number of unresolved tickets in your service desk system at any given time.

What it is: The Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how much effort a customer needs to get their issue resolved. A low CES indicates a smooth and effortless experience. On the other hand, a high CES suggests a frustrating and complex process.

Why it matters: A low CES translates to customers who feel their concerns are addressed. It helps you spot areas where your support might be overly complicated or time-consuming for customers.

How to measure it: Use surveys after a support interaction. Ask customers how much effort they had to put in to get their issues resolved.

What it is: Predicted backlogs are estimates of future ticket volume. It’s based on historical data and trends.

Why it matters: Predicting backlogs allows you to plan your resources proactively. You can adjust staffing levels, identify potential trouble spots, and take according steps.

How to measure it: Many service desk software solutions offer tools for predicting backlogs. They can help you forecast future workload and make informed decisions. An example is Jira Service Management extended with Queues for Jira&JSM app.

With the plugin, you can create queue groups and organize them. You can also filter issues by priority, assignees, or other factors. It allows you to spot the most urgent tickets quickly and plan your work better. 

To add filters:

What it is: This metric is like a progress report on your team’s ability to clear the ticket queue. It compares the number of support tickets opened in a specific period to the number of tickets resolved within that same timeframe.

Why it matters: A healthy balance between opened and solved tickets shows your team is resolving issues on time. It also means agents are keeping the backlog under control. A high number of opened tickets compared to solved ones might suggest bottlenecks. They include limited resources, complex issues, or inefficient processes.

How to measure it: Track the number of tickets opened and the number of tickets closed within a chosen time. With apps for Jira Service Management like Queues for Jira&JSM, you can display issues from all projects in one place. It will make it easier to compare the number of opened and closed tickets. 

What it is: The transfer rate measures how often support agents transfer tickets between each other before the resolution. You can think of it as the number of times a customer’s issue gets passed on to your service desk.

Why it matters: A high transfer rate usually means a lack of agent knowledge. It can result from inadequate training or an overly complex issue routing system. Preventing transfers improves efficiency. It also ensures customers don’t have to repeat their issue multiple times.

How to measure it: Use service desk software. Dedicated tools can automatically track how many times a ticket was transferred. 

What it is: Service-level agreements (SLAs) are formal agreements between your service desk and your customers or internal teams. They define specific resolution timeframes for support issues.

Why it matters: Meeting SLA commitments builds trust. It demonstrates your commitment to providing reliable and timely support. Falling short of SLAs can lead to frustrated customers. Keeping an eye on it is crucial because not meeting SLAs can potentially impact your business relationships.

How to measure it: Track the percentage of tickets resolved within the timeframe specified in your SLAs. 

Sharing SLAs and progress with your customers in real time will surely get you some extra points. You can use the Extension app for that purpose. It displays SLAs on the request view. This solution benefits both customers and agents. Thanks to the feature, customers always know what’s going on with their tickets. 

To configure SLA metrics on request forms:

a. SLA metric you wish to show.

b. Request types for which the SLA metric should be displayed.

c. Jira groups for which the SLA metric should be visible.

What it is: The escalation rate measures the percentage of support tickets that require escalation to a higher level of support. It can be within your team or to a different department entirely.

Why it matters: A high escalation rate might mean many things. For example, complex issues beyond the expertise of your first-line agents, or a lack of clear escalation guidelines. Monitoring this metric helps identify weak spots. Knowing this data, you can improve training or troubleshooting procedures, or escalation protocols.

How to measure it: Divide the number of escalated tickets by the total number of tickets. Multiply by 100 to get a percentage. 

Many dedicated business tools are available, but you can also create an effective KPI dashboard using spreadsheet applications. They include Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. These tools offer a range of charting and formatting options to help you visualize your service desk metrics.

To create a KPI dashboard in Excel or Google Sheets:

You can create a functional KPI dashboard by following these steps. Take a look at the example provided by Zapier on their blog: 

Excel is not enough for the majority of companies. It requires a lot of manual work and costs time. Fortunately, any service desk solutions offer built-in KPI and metric tracking functionalities. Here are a few of the most popular tools:

Jira Service Management is a popular service desk solution from Atlassian. It is built on the same platform as Jira. This makes it a good choice for organizations that are already using Jira. JSM offers a wide range of features for tracking and reporting on KPIs. Among others, team members can benefit from customizable dashboards and reports.

Zendesk is a customer service platform that offers a service desk solution. It includes built-in reporting and analytics that allow you to track KPIs. You can report first response time, resolution time, customer satisfaction, and agent productivity.

Freshservice is another IT service desk solution that allows tracking and reporting KPIs. It includes customizable dashboards and reports. They allow you to see the data that matters most to your organization.

ServiceNow is an IT service management platform. It also provides users with a wide range of features for tracking and reporting on KPIs. They include self-service portals, knowledge bases, and asset management tools.

Help Scout is a good option for smaller organizations seeking an easy-to-use solution. The tool helps track KPIs with customer satisfaction surveys and ticket resolution times reports.

These are just a few of the many tools available for tracking service desk KPI metrics. The best tool for your organization will depend on your specific needs and budget.

Here are some additional things to consider when choosing a service desk tool:

In addition to the service desk solutions mentioned above, several tools can help automate service desk KPI reports. These tools save you time and ensure accurate, up-to-date reports. Here are a few options to consider:

BI tools can connect to your service desk software and other data sources to create dashboards. This allows you to see all your service desk data in one place and easily track your KPIs over time. Some popular BI tools include Tableau, Power BI, and Looker.

Data integration tools can help you extract data from your service desk software and other systems. Then, it brings it together into a central data warehouse. This can be helpful if you use multiple systems to track your service desk data. Some popular data integration tools include Fivetran and Informatica.

Low-code/no-code reporting tools allow you to create reports and dashboards without writing any code. This can be a good option for organizations that do not have IT resources. Some popular low-code/no-code reporting tools include Zoho Reports and Microsoft Power Automate.

There are several service desk tools available that can help you automate the creation of reports. These tools typically integrate with your service desk software and allow you to create reports on KPIs. 

Here are some best practices for using service desk KPIs:

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Ensure your KPIs are clear, well-defined, and have achievable targets within a specific timeframe.

Not every metric is equally important. Choose KPIs that align with your overall business goals and customer needs.

Track a mix of KPIs that measure various aspects of service desk performance. Include metrics on customer satisfaction, agent productivity, and process efficiency.

Don’t just focus on individual data points. Look at trends over time to identify areas for improvement. Track the effectiveness of changes made.

Share KPI reports with relevant stakeholders, including agents, managers, and executives. This fosters transparency and encourages a data-driven approach.

Don’t just collect data. Use it to make informed decisions about resource allocation, process improvement, and technology adoption.

Don’t try to track too many KPIs at once. Start with a few key metrics and add more as needed.

Get input from your service desk agents on the KPIs that are most important to them.

Regularly review your KPIs. Update them as your business needs and priorities change.

Use KPIs to identify what can be improved, not to punish agents for poor performance.

Track the right things to see how well your service desk is doing. This helps you improve and keep customers loyal. By measuring the right KPIs, you can also prove how valuable your service desk is. 

You should make these important decisions based on real data, not guesses.

So how do you get started? Look at what you’re tracking now. See what’s missing and set SMART goals you can reach. Get your team involved, hold them accountable, and celebrate wins together.