First Call Resolution: key for customer satisfaction

The FCR or First Call Resolution is undoubtedly one of the most important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for a contact center. And this is so because all the studies agree in pointing out that the resolution in the first call has a decisive impact on customer satisfaction.

Preliminary questions to calculate the FCR

When we consider how to measure customer satisfaction through FCR in contact centers, there are a number of items that you have to take into account:

• First of all, you need to determine the real importance of First Call Resolution in your business. And, although it is a KPI that is always relevant, it is not a priority in all sectors. It will be absolutely decisive in those cases where urgency is a critical factor (health services or similar) and in those cases where successive interactions are much more expensive (requiring the physical presence of a technician, for example). In any case, it is important to determine a priori its relevance in each specific case.
• Second, since there is no standard definition of FCR, it is important for the company to determine precisely which variables have to be taken into account for its calculation. Each sector handles process cycles with different lenght, has different contact channels, etc. Therefore, you must adapt the definition of this KPI to the specific case of your company.
• The First Call Resolution is determined retrospectively. That means that requires looking for the history of each interaction to know if it is the first contact or not. This, which may seem simple, it’s not always that easy. In fact, many times (due to poor multi-channel management or similar incidents) it is not easy to determine whether a customer has contacted us before for exactly the same reason.

How to measure First Call Resolution

Once you have solved these previous questions, especially the adaptation to the particularities of each company, you can fully enter into the calculation of this fundamental metric.

To do this, you can follow the following indications:

1. Determine when you consider a resolution made on the first call. That is, what is your “target” or “offered” FCR indicator.
2. Establish the time frame associated with each process in relation to the indicator in question.
3. Determine the FCR “perceived” by the customer. To do this, it will be necessary to ask the contact center users whether or not they consider that their demand has been solved in the first interaction.

Once these parameters have been established, the deviation (gap) between the FCR indicator determined from the company’s point of view and the one perceived by the client can be calculated. The goal will be to reduce this deviation as much as possible.

How to improve First Call Resolution

1. Know the customer’s demand
2. Report the estimated time the consultation will take
3. Efficient call transfer system
4. Use an evaluation and feedback system
5. Create an interaction trace
6. Analyze customer behavior and anticipate their needs
7. Maximize FCR

In the process of improving customer satisfaction through the First Call Resolution indicator, it is convenient to take into account the following recommendations:

1. Agents must make sure they know exactly what the customer’s demand is before continuing the process. If there is confusion in directing the user to the right department or an inappropriate solution is provided, it is highly unlikely that a resolution will be reached on the first call. In addition, this type of confusion is one of the main sources of frustration for contact center users. To avoid this, the agent should ask additional questions to help him/her locate the type of problem with minimal inconvenience to the customer.
2. Inform the user of the estimated time to answer their demand or resolve the incident. They must be realistic estimates and duly justified based on the nature of the problem. In any case, the user will appreciate being informed of the resolution process. In the same way, do not provide information about which you are not sure or which is too imprecise.
3. Establish an efficient call transfer system. There should be a clear protocol in place about when to transfer a call to a specialized agent or a different department. Statistics indicate that around 10% of the calls received will require some type of consultation with a specialized operator.
4. Set up a system of continuous evaluation and feedback. It is about putting into value the data collected throughout the contact center interactions, so that it can be of help for future calls. You should not let recurring problems go by without trying to implement a solution that minimizes their frequency. Good internal communication between the different departments of the company can be decisive at this point.
5. Track the interaction. If the client raises a main problem and an additional issue, once the first has been solved, the agent must take the initiative to solve the second, without the need for a new call. On the other hand, the client should always be asked if the incident has been resolved satisfactorily, if he/she has any other questions, etc.
6. Analyze the behavior of customers and anticipate their needs. It is very interesting to use customer behavior data to establish some type of segmentation based on demographic data, type of incidence, etc. It is about agents being more prepared for interaction with the customer, as they have prior information that can help them better face the call.
7. Make sure you have the right tools to maximize FCR. We refer both to the training of agents and the technological tools that the contact center must have. Undoubtedly, having efficient software that allows you to establish a good organization of the workflow is an essential element to provide a outstanding service to your clients.

Conclusion

In short, the First Call Resolution indicator is configured as a key piece in the global objective of offering a better service to our clients. As such, misbehaving this KPI should put us on alert and prompt us to thoroughly review all of our processes to find potential sticking points.

With the application of the recommendations that we have indicated, the resolution ratio in the first call can be radically improved and, with it, the satisfaction of the contact center users.

Are you looking for a contact center software that allows you to increase your customer satisfaction? ICR Evolution’s contact center software will allow you to connect in an omnichannel way and take advantage of all the opportunities in your touchpoints.

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