First contact resolution is an indicator that will help you measure the result of each call answered by your agents in a call center or customer service department.
Let’s learn more about its importance and how to follow it up to improve the service you offer.
What is first contact resolution (FCR)?
It is a KPI that measures the result of each call managed by agents to monitor the degree of resolution of customer problems.
The goal of any call center is to quickly resolve calls to meet the service level agreement and provide high-quality care. Problems that are resolved in the first contact are an indicator of customer satisfaction and call center efficiency.
The reality is that many problems may require several calls or contacts to resolve. For example, a difficult technical issue may require multiple contacts with multiple agents to resolve. The red focus of first contact resolution is the number of problems that are unresolved. Be sure to track each contact method your contact center uses, as well as the effectiveness of each method.
It must be taken into account that not all complaints can be resolved with a single call. The complaints not resolved on first call metric monitors the total number of complaints that could not be fully addressed during the initial call.
What is the FCR for in call centers?
First, it must be taken into account that the FCR allows you to improve your company’s customer service, in addition to guaranteeing a higher productivity rate within the organization.
First call resolution falls within the category of essential performance indicators or KPIs for a contact center, and its main function is to provide measurable and quantifiable results for the company.
This metric is capable of reflecting high or low results; low results translate into the call center’s inability to quickly resolve customer problems.
That is why a contact center should aim to maintain a high percentage, as it means that agents have the appropriate training to resolve all incidents in a timely manner.
Why is FCR important and how is it calculated?
Analyzing the index or first call resolution rate allows you to guarantee that customers are satisfied with your services , regardless of the means by which they contact you. The ideal support for your customers is one that is capable of resolving their concerns in the shortest possible time. possible time.
Calculating the first call resolution rate is simple, just divide the total number of problems resolved on the first contact by the total calls received during a given period of time.
The formula will look something like this
This means that if a call center received a total of 2,500 calls in a month but only managed to resolve 400 on the first call, in total the FCR would be 0.18 or 18% (Multiply the result by 100 to obtain the percentage).
At this point, you should ask yourself : How do I know what the correct or ideal percentage is for my call center? and although there is no single answer, ideally, advisors should be able to resolve more than 50% of requests during the first call.
Important note: Customers are the ones who determine whether the problem has been resolved or not, and the most common way to obtain this data is through surveys carried out immediately after the call ends, for this you can use tools such as Net Promoter Score.
What are the benefits of FCR in call centers?
The FCR has multiple advantages or benefits; those companies that have a high first call resolution rate tend to see improvements in customer interaction with the company and, as a consequence, have a good reputation among the community.
And if you are still not convinced of the importance of first call resolution, below we show you other benefits that will motivate you to implement this metric in your call center.
- Improve the image of the company: as we have already mentioned, implementing an effective support service gives your customers confidence and security that the company is there to solve their problems, and if the consumer is satisfied it is likely to recommend your services to others, creating a positive image of the company.
- Boosts customer retention: a customer satisfied with your services increases the likelihood that they will remain loyal customers and the need to look for other alternatives or other businesses decreases.
- Increase efficiency or productivity: internally, the operability of your advisors or agents increases, since the resolution time per agent is less, which allows them to attend to a greater number of calls in a productive and effective manner.
- Cost reduction: resolution in the first call makes follow-up calls or subsequent queries unnecessary, this reduces call volume and the resources used to follow up can be redirected to different activities within the company.