First call resolution (or first contact resolution (FCR)) is one of the key metrics for customer service. Also known as first contact resolution, first call resolution measures the ability to handle and resolve customer issues in the first interaction. No one wants to contact a company more than once to resolve their issue (nor does the company want to handle multiple tickets), so the first call resolution rate is critical.

The FCR metric is computed from the fraction or percentage of customer requests that are successfully resolved in the first interaction with the agent.

How To Calculate First Call Resolution To Track FCR Performance

To compute FCR, divide the total number of resolved cases in the first interaction by the total number of cases. You can pick a window, for example 24 hours, depending on your volume and the granularity with which you'd like to track performance changes.

What Is A Good FCR Rate?

A high FCR is key to efficiency. It means the team effectively resolves customer issues the first time they happen without them having to call back or try their luck using another channel. It also accounts for tickets being quickly closed without actually being resolved, and hence can counterbalance other metrics.

The industry standard for FCR is different for different businesses and industries. One study claims that the industry standard first call resolution is 74%. Thus, a rate of 85% or higher is a good target.

Why Is FCR Important?

First call resolution is critical for quality customer service and should be one of key metrics used by businesses to track support.

These are a few reasons why:

• It ensures that issues are being resolved, not punted or sidestepped.
• It serves as a counterbalance to metrics such as average handle time.
• More importantly, customers expect to have their issues resolved on the first go. A great FCR can help ensure the loyalty of your customers.
• Finally, it can help reduce repeat ticket volume and thus improve efficiency.

How to Improve First Call Resolution?

Establishing clear goals and tracking them is essential to getting a better FCR score. Then, it's time to make an improvement plan and measure the customer service agents' performance.

The Critical Steps To Improve First Call Resolution:

• First, determine what are the most common issues and resolutions. Which issues take the longest amount of time? Try and do an 80/20 analysis to figure out what to focus on.
• Hop on calls or listen to recordings of calls for these issues to determine if there's anything beyond the numbers.
• Start by trying to provide self-help information (for example in a knowledge article) and if possible a self-serve tool.
• Provide training documentation and processes for your team to resolve these issues in an optimal way.
• Continue to track metrics and survey customers as you implement these changes. This is an ongoing, iterative process.