First call resolution or FCR has been a very important metric in any call center industry. This is also synonymous with First Contact Resolution wherein their primary mode of communication would be the phone. With the aid of FCR, organizations can be able to track their efficiency with how well their agents were able to resolve customer issues.
FCR Defined
According to Tech Target, FCR is defined as being able to address customers’ need the first time they call. This would eliminate the need for the client to follow up with another call. This can be connected or associated with talk time. Talk time is the average time the agent would spend on the call. This is also a common call center metric in terms of performance. Fast talk time is often desirable. Yet, fast talk time average with poor first call resolution rates are an indicator that calls of the customers are not being addressed well.
FCR Measurement
First call resolution measurement is very important in contact centers. This might be something that others can dismiss, however, really imperative to be taken into account. To effectively measure this one, businesses need to be able to track the number of customer contacts per issue. This is regardless of the communication channel. This would cover phone contacts, email and also chat. This is indeed a very difficult task. No wonder many are just shoving the idea of measuring FCR and taking this into account.
One advantage of being able to tract FCR is that you can aid in measuring the effectiveness of new initiatives. By taking into consideration of this one, a baseline can be established. This would certainly be helpful for new procedures and initiatives. This baseline can then be used for training or coaching.
FCR Impact
First call resolution has great impact on customer satisfaction. A study conducted by Customer Relationship Metrics states that “CSAT or customer satisfaction score ratings will be 35%-45% lower when a second call is made for the same issue.” Service Quality Measurement Group in their study revealed that for every 1% improvement in FCR, expect a 1% improvement in CSAT.
In the long run, FCR can lower operational costs. This is because customers will have fewer callbacks since their concern is already addressed on the first call. With fewer callbacks this also means fewer dollars spent. The most important thing is that this decreases agent burnout. There are after all fewer customer tirades with consumers which agents absorbed every single call.
FCR Importance
We cannot reiterate the fact that there are indeed many aspects that effective FCR can cover. One is being able to achieve customer satisfaction. When customer’s concern and issues are addressed in the first call, they will put their trust and confidence with the business and the brand. More so, in terms of security and level of integrity, it will literally soar. They will have greater confidence dealing with the business. In the long run, this can yield customer loyalty. When that time comes, expect that customer will be with the brand for the longest time. This translates to more money for the business.
On the side of the industry, this could mean fewer callbacks hence in terms of operating expenses, it would be lesser. This could entail fewer calls on the side of the agents. It is not that we are minimizing the calls they take but calls with the same concern over and over again can lead to agent burnout. Attrition rate among agents would be minimized.
First call resolution is a very important metric and indicator. Though it can be hard to measure but it is very important that this will be taken utmost consideration. This could spell success and longevity of the business and also the contact center and its agents.
