Here in Wisconsin we are all being swept up in something we haven’t experienced in twenty years. In fact, it’s been longer than twenty years, come to think of it. Our very own Milwaukee Brewers are in the midst of a bonafide Major League Baseball pennant race. It is exciting to watch as two of the best teams in the National League—and two Midwestern based teams no less—go head-to-head for the Central Division title.
Baseball is a sport that’s uniquely American, and the game is really based on statistics. Lots of statistics. Pitchers are judged by their earned run average, their winning percentage, and their strikes-to-balls ratio, while the speed of their throws is measured in mph. At the same time, batting averages are tracked for each batter and broken down by number of hits, number of extra base hits, and number of hits with runners in scoring position. Finally, even out in the field we track player errors and put-outs.
Yes, in baseball, statistic-based performance measurements are highly visible. This attention to statistics and to a statistic-based way of measuring performance is also part of how we operate at TASC. And it will play an even larger role in the future of TASC. Our performance scorecards help us methodically measure our customer service efforts and give our Clients a quantifiable means to assign a perceived value to a third party administrator.
At TASC, just as at many other businesses, we track a lot of different numbers and statistics. Revenue and expenses are two of the most important. In addition, we currently track various performance-based stats for our Contact Center, such as average time to answer calls, average handle time, number of calls offered, and top call drivers. We also track e-mails, webinars, and new business preview.
Just as in baseball, we track these numbers so we can track and appraise our team’s performance. We watch the numbers for signs, for trends, for changes, and for areas that need improvement. The slightest movement up or down of these numbers can make the difference between an average season and a hall of fame career.
For Clients, these numbers present a concrete way to compare administrators that moves beyond marketing hype and sales pitches. The numbers don’t lie.
TASC CEO Blog 