Solving a problem that a customer encounters is quintessential to a good service organisation. Answering this query in the most efficient manner is often the way that businesses measure their customer service experience. Does this make any sense? Is there some study conducted that I have yet to come across that suggests low handling time correlates to good customer experience?

Is there a business out there than measures true customer handling time? What I mean by this is that I have yet come across a company that truly measures the time it takes a customer to have their issue resolved - and holds themselves accountable to this metric.

True Customer Handling time (CHT) is the time a customer spends in a queue awaiting to be served plus the time they talk to a customer representative plus the time in transfer and the length of the next interaction and so on. Traditionally, AHT is the measure of the talk time and possibly some 'wrap up time'. 

If you are not measuring Customer Handling Time then you are not really focused on the customer. 

Choosing a new role as an up and coming leader can be a very difficult process and is one of those areas where I notice often paralyses normally decicive people. Most leaders are very good at objectively looking at new roles in comparison to status quo but often leave out some critical objectives which may make the decision making process must more effective.

The comment that I provide all of my mentees is "make sure you are the dumbest person in the team you are about to join". We all know the retention statistics tell us that the number one reason for people leaving a role is the relationship that person has with their manager. However, did you know that if you only look at 'leaders' and retention then the second most documented reason for leaving is the intellectual challenge that the role provides.

If all of your colleagues are not challenging you or provide you little peer learning, then you will find yourself in 6 months looking again for a new role. It's fascinating how much you grow when you are surrounded by excellence - Make sure you add that to your interview questions!