Explore our ultimate customer service glossary, featuring definitions of key terms, abbreviations, and concepts across the industry. Learn everything you need to know with clear, expert-curated explanations.
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Accuracy rate
Accuracy rate measures how often a system, such as a digital coworker, provides correct responses or completes tasks without errors.
Agentic AI
Agentic AI refers to AI systems capable of autonomous decision-making and taking actions to achieve specific goals without human intervention.
Agent utilization rate
Agent utilization rate measures the percentage of time customer service agents spend actively engaged in handling customer inquiries relative to their total available work time.
AI agent
An AI agent is an autonomous entity that perceives its environment, makes decisions, and takes actions to achieve specific goals, often improving over time through learning.
AI chatbot
An AI chatbot is a software application that uses artificial intelligence to conduct human-like conversations through text or voice interactions.
AI in customer service
AI in customer service involves the use of artificial intelligence technologies to improve and automate customer interactions, making service more efficient and personalized.
AI ticketing
AI ticketing involves using artificial intelligence to automate and streamline the process of managing customer support tickets, improving efficiency and response times.
AI workflow
An AI workflow is a structured sequence of tasks where AI performs the work or makes decisions. Includes types, examples, and how to build one.
Automated customer service solutions
Automated customer service solutions use technology to handle routine customer inquiries, offering quick and efficient assistance without human intervention.
Average Handle Time (AHT)
Average Handle Time (AHT) is the average duration taken by a support agent to resolve a customer inquiry, including talk time, hold time, and follow-up tasks.
Average Resolution Time (ART)
Average Resolution Time measures the typical duration it takes for customer support to resolve a customer inquiry or issue, indicating the efficiency of the support process.
Chatbot
A chatbot is a software application designed to simulate conversations with human users, often used for customer service and support.
Chatbot engagement rate
Chatbot engagement rate measures how often users interact with a chatbot, indicating its effectiveness in engaging customers.
Contact centers
Contact centers are centralized offices where customer interactions are managed across various communication channels, including phone, email, and chat.
Containment rate
Containment rate is the percentage of customer queries an AI agent or chatbot resolves end-to-end, without escalating to a human. It's the cleanest metric for whether your automation is actually doing its job.
Conversational AI
Conversational AI refers to technologies that enable computers to simulate human-like conversations, enhancing customer interactions.
Cost per ticket
Cost per ticket refers to the average expense incurred by a company to resolve a single customer service request or inquiry, helping evaluate support efficiency.
CSAT
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) measures how happy customers are with a specific interaction. Includes formula, benchmarks, and how to improve it.
Customer effort score
Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how easy it is for customers to interact with a company, often linked to customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Customer experience
Customer experience encompasses every interaction a customer has with a business, shaping their overall perception and satisfaction.
Customer journey
A customer journey is the full set of experiences a customer has with your brand, from awareness to advocacy. The five stages and why every stage matters.
Customer journey mapping
Customer journey mapping is the process of laying out every interaction a customer has with your brand, from awareness to advocacy, to find the moments where things go wrong and decide where to invest.
Customer retention rate
Customer retention rate measures the percentage of customers who continue to do business with a company over a specific period, reflecting customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Customer service metrics
Customer service metrics measure how well a support team performs. Includes FRT, CSAT, AHT, FCR, cost per ticket, and benchmarks for each.
Customer support automation
Customer support automation refers to the use of technology to handle routine customer inquiries, freeing up human agents to focus on more complex tasks.
Deflection rate
Deflection rate measures the percentage of customer inquiries resolved through self-service options or automated systems, reducing the need for human intervention.
Delivery delays
Delivery delays occur when goods or services are not delivered on time due to various factors like logistical issues, supply chain disruptions, or adverse events.
Digital coworker
A digital coworker is an AI-driven colleague that handles repetitive tasks, freeing up human team members to focus on creative and strategic work.
E-commerce call center
An e-commerce call center is a dedicated support hub that assists online retailers by handling customer inquiries, orders, and issues related to online shopping experiences.
Escalation rate
Escalation rate refers to the percentage of customer support requests that are elevated to higher-level support tiers due to complexity or unresolved issues.
First Contact Resolution (FCR)
First Contact Resolution (FCR) measures the percentage of customer inquiries resolved during the first interaction, without the need for follow-ups.
First Response Time (FRT)
First Response Time (FRT) is the duration between when a customer submits a request and when they receive the initial reply, crucial for customer satisfaction.
Generative AI
Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems capable of creating new content, such as text, images, or music, based on the data they have been trained on.
Helpdesk
A helpdesk is the system and team that takes customer questions and turns them into resolved tickets. It's where support gets organized, prioritized and tracked.
Knowledge base
A knowledge base is a searchable collection of articles, FAQs and how-tos that lets customers solve problems themselves. It cuts ticket volume and speeds up agents.
Live agents
Live agents are real human support representatives who assist customers by addressing their inquiries and resolving issues in real-time.
LLM
LLM, or Large Language Model, refers to an advanced artificial intelligence system capable of understanding and generating human-like text.
Machine learning
Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that enables systems to learn and improve from experience without explicit programming.
Multichannel support
Multichannel support refers to offering customer service across various communication channels, ensuring customers can reach out through their preferred method, whether it's email, chat, social media, or phone.
Multilingual support
Multilingual support refers to the capability of providing customer service and resources in multiple languages to accommodate a diverse customer base.
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures how likely customers are to recommend your brand to others, on a scale of -100 to +100. Includes the formula, benchmarks, and how to improve it.
Omnichannel
Omnichannel is a customer experience approach where every channel, online and offline, works as one connected system. The customer can switch channels mid-conversation without losing context.
Omnichannel customer support
Omnichannel customer support provides a seamless experience across various communication channels, ensuring consistent assistance regardless of the platform used.
Predictive analytics in customer service
Predictive analytics in customer service involves using data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning techniques to identify the likelihood of future outcomes based on historical data, enhancing decision-making and customer interactions.
Response time
Response times refer to the duration it takes for a business to reply to customer inquiries or requests, impacting customer satisfaction and service quality.
Self-service customer support
Self-service customer support allows customers to find answers and solutions to their questions independently, using tools like FAQs, knowledge bases, and chatbots.
Sentiment analysis accuracy
Sentiment analysis accuracy refers to how correctly a system can identify and interpret the emotional tone behind a piece of text.
Service level agreement (SLA)
A service level agreement (SLA) is a documented promise about service quality with numbers attached. What's in a customer service SLA and how to use it.
Support tickets
Support tickets are digital records of customer inquiries, issues, or requests that businesses use to track and manage customer service interactions efficiently.
Ticket backlog
Ticket backlog refers to the accumulation of customer inquiries or support tickets that remain unresolved over a certain period.
Ticket triage
Ticket triage is the process of sorting incoming support requests by topic, urgency and complexity, so the right ticket reaches the right person fast. Done well, it's the difference between a calm queue and a chaotic one.
Ticket volume
Ticket volume refers to the total number of customer inquiries or support requests received by a customer support team within a specific period.
Virtual agent
A virtual agent is a software-based entity that uses artificial intelligence to interact with users, providing assistance and information in a conversational manner.
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