AHT (Average Handling Time)The average time an agent spends on a single customer interaction, including talk time, hold time, and after-call work. Industry benchmark in SA is 4–7 minutes for general enquiries. A lower AHT means higher efficiency, but pushing it too low can hurt customer satisfaction.Attrition RateThe percentage of employees who leave the company over a given period. South African BPO attrition averages 30–45% annually — significantly higher than other industries. High attrition is one of the biggest challenges facing the sector.BPESABusiness Process Enabling South Africa — the national trade body for the BPO industry. BPESA promotes South Africa as a BPO destination and publishes annual industry reports on jobs, growth, and investment.CampaignA specific project or client account within a BPO. Agents are usually assigned to one campaign (e.g., 'Vodafone UK Customer Service'). Campaign changes can mean retraining and new KPIs.CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)A metric measuring how satisfied customers are with their interaction, usually on a 1–5 or 1–10 scale. Agents with consistently high CSAT scores are more likely to be promoted. In SA, the industry benchmark is 80–85%.Dialler (Auto-Dialler)Software that automatically calls numbers for outbound agents. Types include predictive (calls before agent is free), progressive (calls when agent is ready), and preview (shows info before calling). Outbound agents work with diallers daily.FCR (First Call Resolution)The percentage of customer issues resolved in a single call without needing a callback or transfer. High FCR (70–80%+) reduces costs and increases satisfaction. It's one of the most important KPIs in call centre management.IVR (Interactive Voice Response)The automated phone system customers navigate before reaching an agent ('Press 1 for billing, press 2 for technical support'). Modern IVR uses AI and natural language processing.KPI (Key Performance Indicator)Measurable targets agents must meet — AHT, CSAT, FCR, adherence, quality scores. BPO agents typically have 5–8 KPIs tracked daily. Meeting KPIs affects bonuses, shifts, and promotion eligibility.Nearshore OutsourcingWhen a company outsources to a nearby country with similar time zones. South Africa is considered nearshore to the UK and Europe, which is a major advantage over India and the Philippines for English-language BPO.NPS (Net Promoter Score)Measures customer loyalty by asking 'How likely are you to recommend us?' Scored from -100 to +100. Companies track NPS as a strategic metric, and strong NPS performance in your team can accelerate your career.Occupancy RateThe percentage of time agents spend actively handling calls vs waiting for calls. An occupancy of 80–85% is considered healthy. Above 90% leads to burnout; below 70% means overstaffing.OmnichannelHandling customer queries across multiple channels (phone, email, chat, social media, WhatsApp) from a single platform. Omnichannel skills are increasingly valued — agents who can handle multiple channels earn more.QA (Quality Assurance)The process of monitoring and scoring agent interactions for quality. QA analysts listen to recorded calls, review chat transcripts, and score against criteria like accuracy, empathy, compliance, and resolution. QA scores directly affect bonuses.SLA (Service Level Agreement)A contractual commitment to answer X% of calls within Y seconds. Common SLAs: 80/20 (80% of calls answered within 20 seconds) or 90/30. Missing SLAs can result in financial penalties for the BPO.ShrinkageTime agents are scheduled to work but aren't available to take calls — breaks, meetings, training, sick leave, lateness. Industry average is 30–35%. Workforce planners account for shrinkage when scheduling shifts.Workforce Management (WFM)The department responsible for forecasting call volumes, creating agent schedules, and managing real-time adherence. WFM is a specialist career path within BPO with salaries of R18,000–R35,000.Wrap Time (After-Call Work)Time agents spend completing tasks after a call ends — updating notes, sending emails, processing requests. Most BPOs allow 30–90 seconds of wrap time. Efficient wrap time improves AHT. 