How to Measure First Call Resolution

Colin Gill of Akixi discusses his preferred method of calculating first call resolution (FCR) in the contact centre.

FCR is a key metric for measuring success in any customer service team. However, surprisingly, there are many within the customer service industry that are unaware of this metric and how to calculate it!

This update provides you with all the information you need to know about First Call Resolution and gives you details on how you can use this metric to optimize call centre performance.

What Is First Call Resolution?

One of the cornerstone metrics for measuring customer service in a call centre or any customer service team is to measure one-call resolution.

FCR is when a caller receives a satisfactory outcome on the first time of trying, following initial contact with a company. First Call Resolution results in the caller not having to make any subsequent contact with regard to the initial issue. These interactions can be anything from placing an order with the sales team to receiving assistance from a support team.

How Do You Calculate First Call Resolution?

The formula for calculating FCR needs to be tailored specifically for each team, which is why it is important for any first contact resolution customer service solution to have the ‘right first time’ calculation clearly defined. It’s also just as important to know the level of information required.

An example of a basic FCR definition would be to divide the total number of calls that were resolved correctly first time by the total number of calls.

Following the definition, specific FCR criteria or variables need to be set out, such as:

• Who does FCR apply to (what type of caller)?
• What defines ‘successfully resolved’?
• What timeframe is considered sufficient before counting any further contact from the caller as ‘new contact’?

Once you have set out the FCR criteria or variables, the formula can then be clearly defined.

Why Is First Call Resolution Important?

FCR is not a measure of customer service in itself; rather, customer service is influenced by FCR, which is why it’s vital to make sure an FCR score is closely and regularly monitored, to maintain customer service levels.

What Is First Call Resolution in a Call Centre?

It’s important to remember that within a call centre environment the First Call Resolution KPI is only one of a number of KPIs used to measure performance to help maintain customer service levels.

What Is a Good First Call Resolution Rate?

In most circumstances it goes without saying that the higher the FCR rate, the better. However, a high score is only relative and depends on the types of calls received and the resources available, and will differ from team to team and company to company.

The first step to establishing what is a good FCR rate is to define an FCR calculation, set a benchmark, then implement steps to improve the FCR rate and measure the outcome.

How Can I Improve First Call Resolution ?

Measuring FCR rates in isolation is not enough. It’s just as important to regularly measure customer service levels against FCR rates. This will ensure that the ‘right first time’ calculations are constantly reviewed and improved where needed.