When looking at the collections cascade and it’s diminishing returns, we always emphasis the responsibility factor relating to each metrics. Whom is responsible for these areas, and how do we monitor the accuracy of these metric results?

If we take a closer look at the right-party-connect rates, you’ll notice several dispositions that occur regarding this metric:

• RPC KPI’s for collection agents
• Manual logging of RPC’s and subsequent impact
• Quality Assurance monitoring of RPC’s

1. Right-party-connect is a direct result from available data, analytic insights/models and dialler strategies, but we still see companies including RPC as a KPI for collections agents. This is concerning due to an agent having no influence if the right-party answers a telephone call or not. RPC outcomes are only as good as the data and strategy used. If your company uses RPC as an agent KPI, how sure are you that the logging of RPC’s is accurate? Remember, agents always find a way of manipulating outcomes to suit their needs.
2. If we look at how we log a RPC in our operating systems, we can all agree that for the most it is still a manual action by an agent. But is this really optimal, and what is the risks associated with these manual actions? Even though we may not assess agent KPI’s on RPC outcomes, we still assess their conversion of a RPC to a promise-to-pay (PTP). We know that agents can very quickly find a way of manipulating outcomes to suit their needs. So how comfortable are we in the accuracy of our agents’ negotiation outcomes, knowing that there is still room for manipulation?
3. I recently had a conversation with a colleague regarding their comfort around their QA process and the validity of the outcome. What QA penetration % on calls would you feel is sufficient to draw conclusions from? Would you bet your money on the validity of that penetration? % NO… And I agree fully.

We all know that most companies penetrate less than 0.5% of all calls, and with those odds we are very far from being comfortable to draw any concrete conclusions to influence strategy.

What if we could penetrate 100% of all our calls, would that change the face of our RPC outcomes? Would that result in a focus shift?

Looking at where the collections solutions are going in terms of data analytics, machine learning, AI agents and voice analytics – isn’t it important to completely take the RPC metric away from the call centre agent and their ability to manipulate it?

Let’s start talking about voice biometrics and the importance of it within the operational call centre…