A recap of our recent webinar with CEO Shervin Talieh and VP of Community & Education Mercer Smith. If you missed it, you can watch it here.

At PartnerHero, we’re big on questioning how things have “always been done.” So in our latest webinar, our CEO Shervin Talieh teamed up with our VP of Community & Education, Mercer Smith, to explore how AI in customer service is forcing us all to rethink the CX metrics we’ve relied on for years. If you couldn’t make it live, here’s a snapshot of the conversation—complete with real talk on outdated KPIs, fresh ways to measure success, and yes, even a Milli Vanilli reference.

1. Ditching the old: why some CX metrics just don’t fit anymore

Shervin kicked off the discussion by challenging us to revisit classic support metrics, like Average Handle Time (AHT). He explained that AHT emerged back when phone support was expensive due to per-minute charges:

“All of our historical metrics are centered on constraints that no longer exist.” – Shervin Talieh, CEO

In other words, tracking AHT made sense decades ago, when you had to pay long-distance fees for every extra minute on the phone. Now, with internet-based calling, you might as well be measuring “miles per gallon” (MPG) on an electric car—it simply doesn’t reflect today’s reality.

Our takeaway: If the original constraint is gone, it’s probably time to question the metric that grew from it.

2. CSAT: helpful number, or marketing distraction?

Shervin also called out the limits of CSAT (Customer Satisfaction):

“CSAT isn’t a quality metric—it’s a marketing metric.” – Shervin Talieh, CEO

While a high CSAT score might make a company look good in promotional materials, we’ve seen firsthand that it can dip (or spike) for reasons far outside a support team’s control—like product updates or unexpected policy changes. Often, simpler approaches like “Was your issue resolved correctly?” tell us more about customer-led growth than a broad satisfaction score ever could.

3. AI as a teammate, not a threat

“AI isn’t the enemy—it should be treated like a coworker.” – Mercer Smith, VP of Community & Education

Despite the hype, we know AI customer service can work wonders—but only when done right. At PartnerHero, we believe technology should enhance what our outsourcing customer services teams offer, not replace their human empathy. Bots that handle repetitive inquiries (refund statuses, shipping, or account checks) let people focus on trickier, relationship-driven issues.

However, Mercer stressed the importance of transparency and collaboration:

• Be upfront: Let customers know they’re chatting with a bot (if they are).
• Keep humans in the loop: Tools like PartnerHero Crescendo provide automated QA and “Agent Assist,” but human specialists always have the final say.
• Continuous learning: If the AI misfires, a human can correct it—and help the model learn to respond better next time. With Augmented AI, we handle that for you.

4. Why outsourcing needs a rethink

Customer support outsourcing often conjures images of large call centers with endless agent seats. But scaling your helpdesk backlog by sheer headcount doesn’t address deeper issues—like outdated KPIs or limited coverage times.

At PartnerHero, we see outsourcing differently. We blend AI in customer support with real human expertise, offering on-demand customer service so customers can reach you 24/7 through phone, chat, or email. Our guiding star is customer-led marketing (and, ultimately, growth), not just “cost-savings through more people.”

5. Beyond AHT and CSAT: metrics that drive real value

If we’re moving past AHT and CSAT, which metrics should we actually measure? A few that really stand out to us:

1. Effort score: How easy (or hard) was it to find a resolution?
2. Resolution accuracy: Did the customer get the right answer—whether from AI or a human?
3. Holistic QA: Evaluate every interaction, human or machine, for quality and tone.
4. Business impact: Measure how your support strategy reduces churn, boosts MRR, and improves overall LTV.

We also love a simple experiment: put one legacy metric on pause for 90 days—like halting your obsession with AHT. Does your operation implode? Probably not. But it just might free you to see what truly matters.

6. The future: AI + humans, driving impact together

Ultimately, we see AI and human agents partnering to deliver faster, more empathetic support around the clock. As Mercer put it:

“When done right, AI frees humans to be more human—and that’s the real metric that matters.”

It’s why we created PartnerHero Crescendo: a human + AI solution designed to automate the busywork, reduce escalation management, and let your brand’s personality shine in every interaction. Our team handles everything from implementation to ongoing maintenance, plus that first level of human escalation.

Ready to measure what really matters?

We’d love to help you take a fresh look at your metrics—and your approach to customer service. Whether you’re eyeing chat support outsourcing, exploring nearshore outsourcing, or leveling up your ecommerce customer service, we’re here to align with the goals you actually care about.

Let’s connect!

• See PartnerHero Crescendo combine AI + human agents for around-the-clock, fully quality-assured support.
• Explore on-demand support: our customer-led model scales seamlessly with your needs.
• Strategize your metrics: No more measuring “miles per gallon” on an electric car—time to focus on metrics that speak directly to your bottom line.

And if you want to swap stories about disco hits or that time Milli Vanilli lip-synced on stage, we’re all ears, too—because authenticity matters in customer support, and, well, in life. You can reach out here.

Thanks for reading our webinar recap! We’re excited to see how AI shapes the future of CX, and we’re even more excited to partner with you on that journey.

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