What Is Right Party Contact (RPC)?

What is RPC?

Right Party Contact (RPC) refers to successful instances in outbound calling where the agent reaches the intended contact, rather than connecting with a voicemail, automated message, family member, or other third parties.

The concept is vital in areas like collections, sales, and customer service, where only direct communication with the target person (e.g. account holder or decision-maker) achieves the intended business goals.

For example, if a collections agent dials a number to discuss a payment, an RPC is only achieved if the actual account holder answers the call.

How is RPC Used?

RPC is a key performance indicator (KPI) in outbound call centres, used to measure and improve effectiveness in several ways:

• Agent Productivity: A high RPC rate means agents are reaching their target contacts more often, reducing time spent on unproductive calls, such as those reaching voicemail or third parties.
• Revenue and Conversion: For collections or sales, RPC is essential for generating revenue. Only when agents connect with the right contact can they close a sale, resolve payment issues, or address account-specific inquiries.
• Customer Experience and Compliance: Directly reaching the right person enables a smoother, more focused call experience. In addition, reaching the correct party helps meet compliance standards by avoiding unauthorized disclosures, particularly in sensitive situations like debt collections.

How to Calculate RPC

RPC can be calculated in different ways, depending on the needs of the call centre. Here are two common methods:

1. Percentage of Calls Dialled

This method calculates the RPC rate by dividing the number of successful RPCs by the total number of outbound calls made, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.

• RPC Rate (%) = (Number of RPCs ÷ Total Calls Dialled) × 100

For instance, if 200 RPCs were achieved out of 1,000 calls, the RPC rate is:

• RPC Rate (%) = (200 ÷ 1000) × 100
• RPC Rate (%) = 20%

2. RPC per Hour or Day

For time-based tracking, calculate RPC by simply counting the total successful RPCs within a specific time period, such as per hour or per day.

For example, if a target of 5 RPCs per hour is set, managers can track whether agents are meeting this goal and adjust resources as needed.

Reviewed by: Robyn Coppell