In customer-driven industries, your call or contact center isn’t just a service channel—it’s a strategic asset. During an M&A process, prospective buyers dig deep into customer service operations to understand how well the company handles demand, manages costs, and retains customers.

Whether your team handles calls, emails, chats, or all three, the operating metrics from your contact center provide an essential lens into scalability, efficiency, and customer experience.

Here’s a breakdown of the call center KPIs we typically review in due diligence—and what they reveal about a company’s health.

Contact Volume & Traffic Data

These are foundational metrics that help buyers understand staffing needs, peak demand periods, and operational intensity:

1. Call/Contact Volume

Total number of inbound and outbound interactions across channels (calls, emails, chats, texts).

📌 Why it matters: Establishes service load and scale. High contact volume with low staffing suggests strain. Low contact volume may signal poor engagement or product-market fit.

2. Volume by Hour/Day/Month

Breaks down volume trends to identify peak times and staffing needs.

📌 Why it matters: Helps assess whether the team is optimized for demand patterns—or chronically under/overstaffed.

3. Abandonment Rate

Percentage of contacts that are disconnected or dropped before reaching an agent.

📌 Why it matters: High abandonment = frustrated customers = churn risk. It’s also a proxy for under-resourced service levels.

Efficiency & Performance Metrics

These metrics assess how well the team is handling inbound traffic and resolving issues:

4. Average Handle Time (AHT)

Total duration of a call or chat, including talk time and after-contact work.

📌 Why it matters: AHT helps evaluate staffing efficiency, training effectiveness, and complexity of issues handled.

5. Average Speed of Answer (ASA)

Time from queue entry to when the customer reaches an agent.

📌 Why it matters: Long wait times are a leading indicator of low satisfaction and high escalation risk.

6. First Call Resolution (FCR)

Percentage of issues resolved in the first contact without follow-up.

📌 Why it matters: Higher FCR is linked to lower costs, higher customer satisfaction, and better retention.

7. Service Level

Percentage of contacts answered within a predefined timeframe (e.g., 80% in 30 seconds).

📌 Why it matters: A well-defined and consistently met service level is a sign of mature operations.

8. Call Transfer Rate

Percentage of contacts that must be transferred to another agent or department.

📌 Why it matters: High transfer rates signal training gaps or poor call routing, which erodes efficiency and customer experience.

9. Conversion Rate

Percentage of contacts that result in a sale or desired action.

📌 Why it matters: In sales-driven environments, this is a direct measure of revenue effectiveness. In support environments, it shows success in driving renewals or upsells.

10. Complaint & Escalation Volume

Number of escalations or formal complaints tracked over time.

📌 Why it matters: A spike in escalations signals customer dissatisfaction and potential brand risk. Consistent tracking shows management awareness.

Additional Metrics Often Reviewed

These may not be on every dashboard—but sophisticated buyers often ask for them:

11. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

Short post-contact surveys (“How satisfied were you with your experience today?”)

📌 Why it matters: A direct read on sentiment. If CSAT isn’t measured, it’s a red flag for customer-centricity.

12. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Measures likelihood that a customer would recommend your brand.

📌 Why it matters: More strategic than CSAT. High NPS correlates with loyalty, LTV, and brand health.

13. Cost per Contact

Total cost to handle each call, chat, or email.

📌 Why it matters: A key efficiency metric. Buyers use this to assess scalability and forecast future margins.

14. Agent Utilization Rate

Percentage of an agent’s time spent in productive, customer-facing work.

📌 Why it matters: Critical in evaluating whether staff is over- or underutilized and if outsourcing or automation is warranted.

15. Churn-Related Contact Rate

Proportion of interactions driven by dissatisfaction, cancellations, or complaints.

📌 Why it matters: High rates here suggest a retention problem. It can also signal downstream revenue risk.

Why These Metrics Matter in M&A

Buyers look at contact center metrics to assess:

• Scalability – Can the company handle more customers without adding disproportionate costs?
• Cost Structure – Is the service operation bloated or lean?
• Churn Risk – Are unhappy customers quietly walking out the door?
  
• Team Readiness – Are frontline teams empowered and well-managed?
• Automation Opportunities – Are there workflows that could be optimized with tech?
  

Well-tracked metrics indicate that management is data-driven and customer-focused—qualities that attract premium valuations. In contrast, gaps in reporting, high abandonment, or poor resolution rates are common triggers for purchase price adjustments or post-close investments.

Final Thoughts

Your contact center isn’t just a cost center—it’s a lens into how you serve customers, resolve issues, and scale relationships. Buyers pay close attention to how you measure and manage performance.

If you’re considering a sale or recapitalization, make sure your call center metrics are current, tracked consistently, and tell a positive story. At Colonnade Advisors, we help our clients prepare these operational dashboards ahead of diligence so there are no surprises—and no missed opportunities.

📩 Ready to put your best foot forward? Reach out at coladv.com to learn how we support companies through every step of the M&A process.