The call volume is real. The demand isn’t.

Two firms can field identical volumes of customer contact and have entirely different businesses. The difference sits in a distinction most reporting quietly erases.

By Steve 5 min read
Abstract bridge artwork for The call volume is real. The demand isn’t.

Two businesses of similar size each field around 400 customer contacts a month. One is busy because customers keep buying. The other is busy because customers keep having to check, chase, clarify and repeat themselves. On a dashboard, these two situations look identical: contact volume, average response time, resolution rate, a satisfaction score somewhere in the high threes. The reporting layer has flattened a difference that determines whether the next hire is an investment or a subsidy. The distinction has a name. In his work on service organisations, John Seddon…

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