Why FCR Matters and How to Measure It

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First Contact Resolution (FCR) is a key metric for evaluating the effectiveness of customer service, and refers to resolving a customer query on their first contact without the need for follow-up interactions.

To find out more, asked Colin Mann, Global Demand Generation Director at Enghouse Interactive, to explain the importance of FCR and how contact centres can measure it.

Video: Why FCR Matters and How to Measure It

Watch the video below to hear Colin explain why FCR matters and how to measure it:

With thanks to Colin Mann, Global Demand Generation Director at Enghouse Interactive, for contributing to this video.

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Why Does FCR Matter?

FCR is essential because it directly impacts customer satisfaction. When a problem is resolved the first time, customers are happier and more likely to trust the service. Conversely, unresolved issues or the need for repeated contacts can lead to frustration.

“Put simply, First Contact Resolution is about engaging with a customer query first time, and ideally quickly as well, without that person needing to get back in contact again.

So we all know from our own personal experience if we’re engaging with a company, or a call centre, or you know contacting a company, we want our problems dealt with first time and quickly.

And we don’t want to have to re-engage, we don’t want to have to wait for an agent or a customer service member of the team to recall and get back in touch with us.

So it matters for the satisfaction. You know companies that are getting it right first time are going to have happier customers, they’re going to have happier prospects.”

Happy customers and prospects are more likely to remain loyal and recommend your business, making FCR a critical driver of customer retention and advocacy.

How Can FCR Be Measured?

Measuring FCR involves tracking the number of instances where customers need to re-engage to resolve the same issue. Key methods include:

Interaction Tracking

Monitor how many customers reach out again for the same query.

“One of the ways you can measure it is you can look at the number of interactions that you have where consumers have to get back in touch a second time.

And that enables you then to calculate a First Contact Resolution percentage, so that’s one of the key ways that you can actually look at that.”

Cross-Channel Analysis

Check if customers initially contacted you on one channel (e.g., phone) but had to follow up on another (e.g., email or chat).

“And you can look at that regardless of the channel that they use. They may have initially tried to get hold of you on the phone but then re-engage via email or chat – you can look at that percentage of interaction and if you’re seeing lots of repeating interaction then obviously there’s work to do on the First Contact Resolution percentage.”

Using FCR Insights

By calculating the percentage of queries resolved on the first attempt, you gain a clear view of your team’s performance. High rates indicate effective processes, while low rates signal areas for improvement.

Improving FCR benefits both the customer experience and operational efficiency. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

If you are looking for more great insights from the experts, check out these next:

Author
Robyn Coppell

Robyn Coppell has worked as Digital Content Manager for Call Center Helper since 2021. After University her first job was in a contact centre and has stayed in this space ever since.

She has experience of contact centre operational management, software systems, css and php coding. She edits a lot of the guest content that is published on Call Centre Helper.

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