Improving agent issue resolution
FCR is a mission-critical metric. As a key indicator across an entire organization, FCR serves as the proof of concept for every other aspect of contact center management and operations.
Because every percentage point improvement can be tied back to a cost saving or an increase in customer value, the success of any step taken to optimize contact center efficiency will be reflected in this metric.
This is why it makes strategic sense to improve FCR as a key element in a broader strategy of improvement, ensuring organizational support and justifying necessary investments. Nevertheless, the biggest barrier to improving FCR often lies in how an organization defines the metric. To improve resolving customer issues on the first try, start by reviewing and reevaluating how contacts are registered and classified.
The biggest barrier to improving FCR often lies in how an organization defines the metric.
Clarifying FCR metrics for accurate measurement
Ensure there are no metric mistakes
Genuine FCR measurement and improvement start with examining how it’s currently measured. It doesn’t matter which formula is used to calculate FCR if there are any ambiguities regarding what counts as a contact.
For instance, repeat contacts from the same customer don’t necessarily signal a resolution issue. And the same logic dictates that an ongoing need to engage with an agent regarding the same problem isn’t necessarily a negative reflection of a contact center’s ability to address the initial interaction. Even with real-time speech and text analytics, misaligned FCR definitions can impact accuracy. The only way to be certain about issue resolution is to ask the customer to confirm it, which will ensure alignment between the organization and the customer.
Look for channel inconsistencies
Examine FCR scores across different channels and look at CSAT scores relative to those channels. Pay attention to procedural aspects that might be hampering performance. For instance, in asynchronous channels like email, delays may lead to additional tickets. To avoid this, let customers know how long they should expect to wait between messages.
Likewise, with online chat, if CSAT and FCR rates are low, it could stem from overly high concurrency targets. If agents are juggling too many conversations, there’s a risk of failing to clearly understand a customer’s issue.
Review and update agent knowledge bases
More than any other agent-facing tool or process, the knowledge base has the greatest potential to positively or negatively impact a contact center’s ability to deliver on customer expectations. Make sure it stays updated, clear and relevant to issues commonly faced in live channels. Adapt the knowledge base to the dynamic nature of the business by reflecting changes in product cycles or marketing campaigns.
Review scripted responses in channels like chat or email to avoid relying on outdated information. For customer-facing resources like FAQs, keep them current to prevent confusion and minimize repeat contacts and negative interactions.
Look at what’s happening upstream
Product defects, poorly devised marketing campaigns and even broken links on websites can all damage FCR and increase contact volumes, and they’re all factors that sit upstream from the contact center. Fixing these issues is easier when there are clear channels of communication between departments within the business and when there are clear processes in place for capturing and sharing this information with the wider organization.
Make and monitor changes one at a time
Trying to address all problems immediately can prove counterproductive. If too many changes are being made too quickly, monitoring progress can be challenging as will understanding which adjustment is the root cause of a metric’s rise or fall. Therefore, make the changes one at a time and ensure that there’s a clear process in place for tracking performance relative to the change.
The knowledge base has the greatest potential to positively or negatively impact a contact center’s ability to deliver on customer expectations.
