In a challenging economic environment, holding on to existing customers is just as important as attracting new ones. Customer retention is one of many reasons that satisfying customers has become a key priority among progressive enterprises.

The practical impact at the contact center is to take a fresh look at the metrics that drive performance. First call resolution (FCR) has garnered a lot of attention lately; while it is widely recognized that FCR is one of the top drivers of customer satisfaction, actual usage of this important metric is surprisingly low.

In this paper we will explore the reasons why contact centers should implement FCR as an essential key performance indicator (KPI), discuss some of the challenges associated with definition and measurement, and suggest practical steps contact centers can take to capture this metric and improve performance.

One of the major points of contention surrounding FCR is what the acronym stands for: is it first contact resolution or first call resolution? A purist would contend that first contact resolution is the proper metric, and while tracking all contacts is most reflective of the true customer experience, it is often impractical, expensive and sometimes impossible to develop meaningful metrics that encompass all touch points. For these reasons, we will limit our discussion to first call resolution.

The good news is that you can measure and manage first call resolution. Implementing sound practices coupled with an appropriate technology solution makes it possible to measure, understand, evaluate and improve this essential performance metric.

Read the full white paper below