Deflection rate
Conversations kept away from a human queue. The most quoted and least defined number in support automation, and what to pin down before you quote it.
The share of conversations that did not reach a human queue. In practice it is whichever of several different numbers a vendor has chosen to call deflection.
Pin down which one is meant
| Never queued | The conversation ended before a handoff was requested. |
|---|---|
| Queued then abandoned | Counted as deflected by some vendors. The customer left. |
| Answered by an article | A help-centre view counted without any conversation at all. |
| Handed off but resolved first | Counted either way depending on the vendor. |
These produce materially different figures on the same traffic. Two vendors quoting 70 percent deflection may not be measuring the same thing at all.
Why it flatters hardest
Of all the outcome rates, deflection is the one most improved by a customer giving up. Someone who leaves in frustration is deflected under nearly every definition in use.
Before accepting a deflection figure, ask what happens to a conversation where the customer stopped replying. The answer tells you what the number is worth.
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