Call Center "How To" Tutorial Series

Module 3 - How to increase first contact resolution rate

         Download a printable version of this tutorial in PDF format

We will now provide our weekly tutorials in a downloadable PDF format so you are able to view and print them as resources.  Depending on the topic of the tutorial, you might choose to provide it as a handout with your team, business leaders or employees. 

We will also continue to provide the tutorials in html format as found below.

The Call Center Learning Center is excited to announce a new "how to" tutorial series for call center managers and supervisors. This tutorial series will pull from Prosci's research-based toolkits and best practices reports. Module 1 provided guidelines on how to determine what to measure in your call center.  Module 2 addressed how to minimize misdirected contacts to your center.  This module focuses on how to increase the percentage of calls resolved in one contact.  Module 4 will help you learn how to give effective feedback from quality monitoring.  Module 5 will conclude the series with how to determine selection criteria for a technology vendor.

What is first contact resolution rate?

First contact resolution rate is the percentage of time that customer inquiries are completed on the first contact.  By definition, this means that a customer's request is handled completely during the first call and by the first agent to answer the call.  First contact resolution is also referred to as one contact resolution or one-touch service. 

First contact resolution rate is considered to be an important quality measure because it tells how many customers are having their requests handled effectively on the first call.  A low first contact resolution rate can imply that customers are experiencing poor service, whereas a high first contact resolution rate often correlates to high customer satisfaction.

How does your call center compare to other call centers in your industry on first contact resolution rate?  Prosci collected performance data from 240 call centers in our latest best practices and benchmarking study.  The results for first contact resolution rate are shown in Figure 1.  

Figure 2 - First contact resolution rate (percentage)
benchmarking data by industry

What is the cause of my low first contact resolution rate?

After reviewing the benchmarking data in Figure 1, you may have determined that your call center's first contact resolution rate is too low.  There are several reasons your first contact resolution rate may be low, as shown in Figure 2.  They include the following:

1. Call transfers from one workgroup to another or from one agent to a more experienced employee
    
2. Agent callbacks due to:
    
   • Inability to handle customer request immediately, due to inexperience or insufficient training
      
   • Inability to access information immediately, due to system failure
      
3. Customer callbacks due to:
    
   • The question/inquiry was not addressed completely and the customer needs reassurance that it was handled correctly
      
   • The customer felt rushed to get through the call and may be left with a perception that the agent was unable to address all of their needs and concerns thoroughly
      
   • The services rendered or products received did not meet the customer's expectations or requirements
      
   • The order had mistakes or omissions
      
   • The caller felt the request was not fully understood and fulfilled - the caller felt their request was "brushed off"

Figure 2 - Causes of low first contact resolution rate

How can the percentage of requests resolved in one contact be increased?

• agent skills and knowledge
   
• system capabilities
   
• ability to route directly to the right person to handle customer requests
   
• agent's access to technical assistance, other departments, and systems without having to arrange callbacks or transfers, and without having to leave their position or seeking authorization from someone who is not immediately accessible

Nine methods to improve first contact resolution rate

To improve your first contact resolution rate, you can follow one of the nine methods recommended by the Call Center Learning Center.

1. Address employee turnover issues.  By addressing turnover, you'll be raising the expertise and experience among agents.  As agents have more experience dealing with customers and with the company's products and services, they will have more opportunities to resolve customer requests effectively.  The Motivating Call Center Agents Toolkit specifically addresses how your call center can create a motivation program to combat turnover and increase productivity.
    
2. Evaluate your initial and ongoing training programs.  By providing excellent training, you raise the level of agent expertise, improving the chances of first contact resolution.  Include training on listening skills and diagnostic questions so agents can more accurately pinpoint customer questions and troubleshoot the problem.  If you are looking to redesign your current training program, the Training Development Toolkit offers a comprehensive process for creating a training delivery that meets the unique needs of your call center.
    
3. Incorporate first contact resolution into the quality monitoring process.  Agent behavior will be influenced by how they are evaluated and rewarded.  If performance evaluations (and subsequently raises) are based only on handle times, then first contact resolution will have little importance with agents.  However, if raises and promotions are also tied to first contact resolution, agents will place more emphasis on resolving customer inquiries.  The Quality Monitoring Toolkit has been designed to help call center managers and supervisors create the best possible quality monitoring program.
    
4. Provide agents with immediate access to information about products or services, especially with regard to uncommon products or procedures.  This option can include developing ways to support agents during a call with the information they need, either through better systems (such as an improved knowledge base system) or through supervisory support (such as having a supervisor on the floor and accessible).
    
5. Improve routing accuracy through improved CTI applications and skills tables, and improved voice response unit (VRU) scripts to make sure that the wording is understandable (not company jargon or abbreviation) and the selections are in optimal order (so customer will not select an early option in error).
    
6. Require your agents to recap arrangements with the customer at the end of the call in order to:
    
   • clarify any possible misunderstandings
      
   • provide customers with the opportunity to correct or add details
      
   • reassure customers that the request has been fully understood and will be taken care of
      
7. Provide adequate after-call time for the agent to complete caller requests.
    
8. Consider giving callers tips to assure prompt service during wait times, such as "Have your account number ready," "Check size information before calling," "Note your confirmation number," etc.
    
9. Give customers precise information about when to expect the service to be provided or the product to be delivered.  Ensure that customers have been fully informed on how the procedure will occur and the timeframe for completion.

For additional information on first contact resolution rate, the Call Center Measurement Toolkit includes detailed steps for how to measure first contact resolution rate, how multiple-media customer contact can affect this measure, recommendations for measurement frequency and how to set first contact resolution goals.  The Call Center Best Practices - Operations Edition features the latest benchmarking data of first contact resolution rate and eight other key performance indicators (KPIs) based on data collected from 240 companies.