Currently, First Call Resolution (FCR) is one of the most important indicators when assessing service efficiency, as it represents a company’s ability to resolve issues on the first contact.
To help you and answer your questions, we have created this practical guide, where you will learn what FCR is, how to calculate it, and how it influences customer satisfaction and can transform your company’s productivity. Shall we begin?
What is First Call Resolution (FCR)?
FCR is an indicator that shows how many requests are resolved on the first contact, without the need for additional follow-ups or referrals. Monitoring it allows you to identify areas for improvement in support, such as process failures, limitations in access to information, or the need for staff training.
The higher the First Call Resolution rate, the more efficient the service tends to be and the more positive the customer’s perception of the experience.
What is the purpose of the FCR?
In addition to assessing the actual quality of interactions and providing a clear view of how prepared the company is to solve problems quickly, it also serves as a tool to guide important decisions related to the process, such as adjustments to the flow, review of procedures, improvements to tools, and identification of bottlenecks.
In the long term, this helps reduce costs, prevent ticket backlogs, and consequently increase customer satisfaction, as they will have to wait less.
How to calculate First Call Resolution (FCR)
Calculating your company’s FCR rate is very simple: just identify how many requests were resolved on first contact with the customer and divide this number by the total number of calls handled during the period.
The formula is as follows:
FCR = (Calls resolved on first contact ÷ Total calls) × 100
How should this rate be analyzed?
After calculating the FCR, it is time to analyze the result to clearly understand what this rate really says about your operation. High rates are positive, as they indicate that the customer service team is able to resolve most requests quickly and accurately.
Now, a low rate indicates that there are flaws in the service process, whether it be a lack of information available to operators, lack of training, inadequate work tools, or even problems with the product or service itself.
For a better understanding, we recommend that, in addition to monitoring it for a certain period, you cross-reference this number with other data, such as average service time, number of reopened tickets, reason for recurrences, among others.
This makes it easier to identify patterns, find bottlenecks, and act strategically to improve your first contact resolution rates.
What factors influence the FCR?
Your First Call Resolution rates can be impacted by several factors and elements, from ease of access to information to how each operator handles customer service. To identify where the bottlenecks are, it is essential to understand these factors.
Among the main ones are:
- Speed in quickly accessing customer information and history;
- Clarity and standardization of internal processes;
- Integration between customer service tools;
- Level of knowledge and training of the team;
- Complexity of requests received;
- Quality of the product or service offered;
- Technical limitations or recurring failures;
- Communication between internal areas.
Observing these points allows you to more easily understand why certain requests were not resolved on first contact and what adjustments need to be made urgently.
How can you improve your FCR rate in practice?
To improve this figure, it is essential to have a clear strategy and make some operational adjustments. Here are some tips:
- Map and eliminate bottlenecks in service flows;
- Create clear scripts for recurring situations;
- Invest in ongoing staff training;
- Centralize customer information in a single system;
- Automate simple or repetitive tasks;
- Integrate all service channels into a single platform;
- Periodically review the main reasons for non-resolution;
- Collect feedback from operators about real day-to-day obstacles.
Through these measures, you create a complete environment where the operator has all the necessary tools at their disposal to resolve issues on first contact, reducing rework and improving the overall customer experience.
Jivo’s role in service efficiency
JivoChat is your greatest ally when it comes to increasing service efficiency and improving first contact resolution. That’s because our solution centralizes all channels in a single dashboard, organizes customer history, and gives agents immediate access to the most relevant information.
In addition, we also offer automation, chatbots, integration with other CRMs, quick responses, proactive invitations, and comprehensive reports. So if you want to improve your results, try JivoChat now and see the difference for yourself.
Have you learned what First Call Resolution (FCR) is?
We hope this guide has helped you understand what First Call Resolution is, how to calculate this metric, and what factors directly influence your results. Now that you know how FCR impacts customer experience and operational efficiency, it’s time to apply these practices in your daily routine.