How many of your customers' issues are resolved on the first contact? It sounds like it should be easy to measure, however many companies have found it difficult to define first contact resolution, much less measure it consistently. Tactics to measure first contact resolution vary greatly from company to company. Our survey confirms this. While some companies are measuring first contact resolution, many are not and would like to.
Customers expect to bring a problem or question to your attention and have it resolved in a timely manner. Not all inquiries can be resolved immediately or on the first contact. However, advances in technology, increasing employee empowerment, and scrutinizing evaluation will increase the number that can.
80% first contact resolution performance sounds good. Yet with an 80 percent first contact resolution, 20 percent of customers require multiple contacts with your company to achieve resolution. An 80 percent first contact resolution means your customers average 1.2 contacts to resolve a question or issue. The 20 percent repeat contacts represent increased call volume and field visits, inflated operating expenses, and most importantly, dissatisfied customers. Dissatisfied customers are more likely to defect and more likely to tell others about their experiences.
First Contact Resolution (FCR) is a critical determinant of customer satisfaction, making FCR one of the more powerful customer care metrics. Improvement in FCR brings the best of both worlds—improvement in efficiency and effectiveness. You don't have to worry that you are sacrificing quality because you are reducing costs, or vice versa. When you improve FCR you're improving quality, reducing costs, and improving customer satisfaction, all at the same time.
Measuring First Contact Resolution is the first step towards improvement. Due to the nature of what is being measured—an outcome—it can be challenging. Our research identified four primary measures—three of which are internal approximations of First Contact Resolution, the fourth provides true customer feedback and perception. While each approach has its application, customer perception is king—the customer's evaluation is what matters most.
Download the webinar slides: Metrics For IT Help Desk & Customer Service Organizations