Mix of national, local benchmarks are critical for perspective.

You need a range of national and local data to make your benchmarking successful: national to help you keep your finger on the pulse and local to help you differentiate your service. Never rely on national averages. Instead, find a better performer and study its processes to find out the reasons behind the data. No matter what your local situation is, you always can learn from someone else, particularly if they're different from you.