Are you hungry for customer contact statistics? Are you desperate for benchmarks? Do you search the Internet and publications night and day for trends you can trust? In this article, you'll find recent, valid, actionable metrics to help you run your contact center more effectively. Not only does this article give you the numbers, it helps you learn how to use them to optimize your opportunity to improve.

What do "average" (or even "world class") metrics mean to you? If you follow them blindly, will you be a lemming following other lemmings over a cliff? What should you consider before you invest your efforts in changing them?

Armed with the numbers-and some of the stories behind the numbers-you are better prepared to make wise investment decisions.