In an era where customers now demand fast resolutions to their problems, First Call Resolution has emerged as one of the most significant concepts in the modern customer service environment. This guide to setting up FCR workflows will allow you to tap into its capabilities and transform your business forever. 

Effective FCR workflows enhance customer satisfaction, reduce operational costs, and improve agent productivity. Given that customer retention rates increase by 5% for every 1% increase in customer satisfaction, the rewards of placing greater emphasis on this area are clear.

However, it should be noted that your business will face several challenges in its bid to achieve consistently high First Call Resolution (FCR) rates in contact centers. Worse still, low FCR rates can lead to customer frustration, increased operational costs, and agent burnout while the consequences of overlooking the issues will compound over time.  Thankfully, you have found the answer to your problems with this guide to first call resolution best practices.

We’ll provide a detailed, actionable framework to help call center managers set up and maintain effective FCR workflows thus allowing you to maintain high-quality customer services in a cost-efficient fashion. It’ll support your teams, customers, and company alike.

What is First Call Resolution? (FCR)

First Call Resolution, otherwise known as FCR or Once Call Resolution, is a key metric in the customer services arena. It describes the company’s ability to resolve a customer’s issue during the first interaction without the need for follow-up calls or messages relating to this problem.

Tracking this Key Performance Indicator is essential for all modern businesses as it has a huge influence on customer satisfaction, loyalty, and overall user experiences. On top of that, it also reduces the number of repeat contacts, leading to cost savings and more efficient use of resources.

In other words, improved FCR rates can unlock fewer escalations and reduced customer churn rates while also boosting cost-efficiency. It also directly influences key operational metrics such as Average Handle Time (AHT), call volume, and agent workload to have a huge impact on overall business performance levels. 

How to Measure First Call Resolution?

As the basic FCR meaning suggested, measuring FCR involves tracking the percentage of customer issues resolved during their first interaction with the call center. Once this figure has been accurately measured, you will gain a clearer understanding of how well your team is meeting customer needs while simultaneously identifying areas for improvement.

The industry benchmark for FCR rates is between 70% and 79%. Before calculating yours, you should focus on the methods used to measure it. They include:

  • Customer Feedback: Actively asking customers whether their issue was resolved during the first interaction is one of the easiest ways to track FCR and customer satisfaction levels at once. When the first call response phone call ends with a post-call survey, you should gain honest insights.
  • Call Analytics: Call monitoring tools can automate the process of tracking FCR while also providing accuracy by tracking every call. Analytics 365’s dedicated Call Analytics Tool is an ideal example, integrating with Microsoft teams to gain full company-wide insights into first call and all subsequent call handling matters.
  • Repeat Call Tracking: Tracking repeat interactions with customers within a set time from the initial call is another good way to determine whether the issue was resolved at the first attempt or not. It will support your overall call analytics to paint a clear image of customer satisfaction levels relating to your call center methods.

Measuring First Call Response rates consistently across all communication channels including phone, email, live chat, and face-to-face interactions isn’t easy. However, setting up FCB workflows with standardized definitions of what constitutes a resolved issue will help. Ambiguous meanings would severely hinder the accuracy of your FCR monitoring processes.

Calculating Your FCR Rate

Before implementing the first call resolution best practices, you must first gauge the current effectiveness of your call center. Over 2.86 million Americans work in thousands of call centers across the country, and different organizations will use varying formulas to calculate FCR. However, the most popular formula is as follows:

Total number of calls resolved on the first contact 

FCR = —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—- x100

Total number of calls received

While the definition of what constitutes a resolved issue may vary between companies, the above formula provides an easy framework to calculate the FCR rate. For example, if you have 500 calls and resolve 300 at the first contact, the formula is as follows.

FCR = 500 / 300 x 100 = 60%

In this example, the FCR rate of 60% is far lower than the industry standards of 70% to 79%, thus highlighting the need for attention in the bid to boost operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. The higher the FCR rate becomes, the better the company’s ability to resolve customer issues at the first attempt will be. 

The Benefits Of Improving Your FCR Rate

First Call Response isn’t the only key metric to consider, and you must take issues like Response Times into account too. Nonetheless, improving the FCR rate should be a strategic priority for your call center as it impacts both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. 

High FCR rates will unlock a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to:

  • Enhanced Customer Satisfaction

First and foremost, high FCR rates show that you have resolved problems in the fastest possible time, which can only lead to improved customer experiences. It removes any frustration that may have seen them lose trust in the brand. Given that 86% of agents believe customers now have higher expectations than ever before, it’s vital that you get this right. When you do, customers are more likely to stay loyal to your business and recommend it to others. 

  • Operational Efficiency

If you do not resolve issues during the initial contact, you will need to make repeat calls and follow-up calls. Ultimately, this takes up resources as well as employee time to cost your organization a lot of money. Achieving a situation where fewer repeat calls are needed results in lower operational costs as agents spend less time on follow-ups and escalations. In turn, capital can be invested elsewhere while you should also notice that profit margins improve.

  • Improved Agent Productivity and Morale

Improved agent morale is another KPI as it translates to increased productivity and friendlier interactions with the customer. When call center agents are empowered to fix issues in the shortest time with fewer repeat calls, they will feel more valuable while also avoiding the stress of having to review cases and work on them for days or weeks. It boosts agent confidence and job satisfaction, which additionally promotes lower staff turnover rates to support the firm.

  • Better Performance Metrics

As already stated, high FCR scores can influence other KPIs. For example, there is a clear correlation between First Call Response and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores. Agents are more focused during the initial interaction and a good FCR will subsequently reduce Average Handle Time. In turn, the overall performance of your call center will look better than ever, both in terms of KPIs and profits. So, FCR fits in perfectly with holistic approaches to call center improvements.

  • Competitive Advantage & Scalability 

Consistently high FCR rates will give you an advantage over your competitors as customers want fast answers and a chance to enjoy their product sooner. The acknowledgment that you need to outperform other companies should underline the need to track FCR. It should also be noted that high FCR rates will support scalability and growth as you can maintain high quality through expansion.

How to Set Up Your Own Effective FCR Workflow

Setting up FCR workflows may seem a daunting prospect, not least when equipped with the knowledge that it impacts the customer experience in a huge way. However, a well-structured FCR workflow will streamline call center operations and help your team resolve customer issues on the first contact more consistently. 

Essential Elements of an FCR Workflow

When setting up FCR workflows, the most important ingredients in the recipe for success are as follows:

  • Clear Communication Channels: Consumers now use more touchpoint channels than ever before. So, creating clear communication pathways between customers and agents across phone, chat, and email is vital. 
  • Standardized Procedures: The key to improved FCR (and CSAT scores) often stems from consistency. Developing clear procedures for handling different types of common customer issues supports agents across the call center. They can implement and follow data-backed strategies to unlock great results.
  • Knowledge Management Systems: Knowledge bases provide agents with instant access to accurate info and can support them when looking for solutions on behalf of clients. Knowledge bases can also help customers gain a self-service approach to some customer issues, which is something 86% of modern customers expect. 
  • Effective Escalation Paths: in addition to boosting the FCR rate, workflows should look beyond this with clear and efficient escalation protocols for cases that cannot be resolved on the first contact. A streamlined service should lead to reduced delays and quicker responses to ensure that customer satisfaction and loyalty remain high. 

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up an FCR Workflow:

Step 1: Assess Your Current Processes

Before implementing first call resolution best practices, you must first understand the current situation. A thorough audit of your processes should identify gaps in FCR performance by reviewing key metrics such as FCR rates, customer feedback, and repeat contact frequency. You can then compare the results against the industry standards, your competitors, and intended goals.

Call analytics software can be leveraged to highlight where and why issues occur.  The software allows you to analyze call data, agent performance data, and customer interaction histories to pinpoint problem areas. This info will help guide your next steps.

Step 2: Set Clear Goals

Before setting up FCR workflows, you need to ask what you want them to achieve. This is the time to establish clear FCR objectives that align with your broader customer service goals. These objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Common goals include better customer experience, reduced costs, and increased retention rates. 

You can set key performance indicators (KPIs) such as target FCR rates, customer satisfaction scores, and agent efficiency metrics to help measure success. However, you must ensure that they do not conflict with other goals. For example, boosting CSAT scores while simultaneously reducing average handling times may be difficult.

Step 3: Map the Customer Service Process

Setting up FCR workflows relies heavily on the ability to view things from the client’s perspective. So, you must create a detailed process map to outline each step of the customer service journey, including critical touch points where issues surface and opportunities for quick resolutions arise. 

The process map should highlight areas where the current workflow may falter, leading to lower FCR rates. When you focus on streamlining these areas to unlock optimized performances, you should notice a big impact. More importantly, it helps with predicting individual customer journeys and forecasting overall trends. Removing unfamiliarity can truly transform your approach and mindset to call center activities. 

Step 4: Standardize Procedures

Understanding the FCR meaning and how to calculate it is great, but any data analytics will have limited value if you do not operate with consistency. Therefore, creating standardized procedures for handling common customer issues is arguably the most important step. This includes developing scripts, decision trees, and templates that agents can use to resolve issues efficiently.

The most common complaints regarding customer support include long wait times, knowledgeable agents, and poor problem resolution. Standardized procedures help mitigate these issues while also creating consistency, meaning all customers are treated fairly. Higher FCR rates should follow. 

Step 5: Train Your Agents

The success of setting up FCR workflows is also dependent on call center agents. Whether it’s a first call response phone call or an email, agents need to understand new workflows and the importance of FCR. In truth, dedicated training sessions will be needed to ensure that they utilize the tools and resources provided to their full capabilities.

Role-playing exercises and real-life scenarios will prepare agents for a variety of situations that they could potentially encounter. When training covers all bases and equips agents with the experience they need, real situations with real clients won’t take them by surprise.

Step 6: Leverage Technology and Resources

The harsh reality is that manually trying to track the thousands of calls and emails that your call center processes will be almost impossible. CRM systems are important for many reasons. You can consolidate customer information, allowing agents to quickly access all necessary data during a call. Agents can also gain access to a comprehensive, regularly updated knowledge base that helps them find solutions more efficiently.

Meanwhile, analytics tools can be used to monitor agent performance, track FCR rates, and identify trends in customer interactions. When combined with automation tools to handle routine tasks, allowing agents to focus on resolving more complex issues, call center staff can perform at their best and managers can quickly address any problematic agents. 

Step 7: Pilot Test and Refine

From tech advancements to growing customer expectations, the landscape evolves at a rapid rate. So, you should always look to improve. To do this, you should conduct a pilot test of the new FCR workflow with a small team or within a specific department. This allows you to gather initial feedback and observe how the workflow functions in practice. Collect feedback from both agents and customers during the pilot phase to identify any areas that need improvement.

From here, you can quickly make any necessary adjustments based on the pilot test feedback before rolling out the workflow to the entire call center. It also allows you to customize your approach and keep pace with changing demands.  

Conclusion

Optimized FCR workflows will improve the performance of your call center staff and, crucially, boost customer satisfaction while simultaneously supporting long-term cost-efficiency. To unlock the desired results, First Call Resolution best practices should support continuous improvement and encourage a company-wide shift in mindset.

Nonetheless, your tactics must be supported by the right tools. Analytics 365 helps you monitor FCR workflows to get a better understanding of where things stand and the steps needed to enhance them for improved customer satisfaction and operational efficiency over the years to come. 

The result? Increased customer loyalty, reduced costs, and a more engaged and productive workforce.

If that sounds good to you, get in touch to discover our pricing and arrange a demonstration today.