In the fast-paced world of contact centers, achieving first call resolution (FCR) is often seen as the gold standard. It’s the ideal scenario where a customer’s issue is resolved in a single interaction, leading to higher satisfaction and efficiency. However, for many agents, this goal can feel like a moving target.

Picture this: You start your shift, and the first call you receive is from a frustrated customer who has already called twice about the same issue. Despite your best efforts, the problem remains unresolved due to system limitations and the complexity of the issue. As you navigate through multiple applications to try to piece together the customer’s history, you can sense their patience wearing thin. The pressure mounts as you strive to provide a solution, knowing that each additional call impacts both the customer’s experience and your performance metrics.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Agents are often caught between the need to resolve issues quickly and the reality of dealing with complex problems. With companies having to balance all-time high customer expectations with increased device complexity, constant pressure to reduce costs, distributed teams, and high agent turnover, it can sometimes seem impossible to meet expectations.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the metric of FCR, and explore why teams should be tracking it, and how visual engagement and remote support can help raise it.

What is FCR and Why is it important 

FCR stands for First Call Resolution or First Contact Resolution and measures how often a call center or IT team can resolve a customer's issue on the first contact. It is calculated by dividing the number of cases solved on the first call by the total number of cases. The overall benchmark for FCR is 70-79%, but this varies widely by industry .

Prioritizing FCR is important first and foremost because customers expect it. In fact, according to SQM Group 93% of customers expect issues to be resolved on the first call. Not only does investing in FCR help meet expectations, it also directly increases CSAT, with 1% increase in FCR tying to a 1% increase in customer satisfaction and 1.4 point improvement in NPS. 

But improving FCR helps the business in more ways than one. It also:

1. Reduces operating costs: Not only are you improving agent productivity, you’re also reducing the likelihood of needing to travel or ship items. In fact, every 1% improvement in FCR, saves an estimated $286,000 in annual operational savings for the average midsize call center.
2. Increases customer spend and retention: Not only are customers 2.4x more likely to stay when companies resolve issues quickly, but when a customer's call is resolved, the cross-selling acceptance rate increases by 20%.
3. Boosts agent satisfaction: Interestingly, the impact of boost FCR is more than twice as significant for employees than it is with customers, with a 1% improvement of FCR leading to a 2.5% improvement in employee satisfaction. With agent turnover at an all-time high, this not only reduces training and hiring costs, it fosters happier and more productive teams all around.

What lowers FCR?

According to research, the three main reasons for not being able to solve an issue on the first call are, in order: 

1. Organizational Policies
2. Agent Mistakes
3. Customer Miscommunication

Let’s explore how Visual Engagement and Remote Support can address all three of these obstacles.

What is Visual Engagement and how can it boost FCR?

Visual engagement refers to a collection of digital tools that use visual aids to interact with customers and audiences. This can encompass a few different technologies, like:

1. Customer Camera Sharing: A customer can use their smartphone camera to show the agent the problem area. The agent can then annotate the video feed to highlight specific parts or provide visual instructions, making it easier for the customer to follow along and fix the issue.
   
   
2. Screen Sharing: If a customer is having trouble navigating a website, an agent can use screen sharing to either view the customer’s screen or share their own, and guide the customer in real-time. This helps in providing clear, step-by-step instructions, making it easier to resolve issues quickly.
   
   
3. Remote Control: When a customer faces a complex software issue, an agent can take remote control of the customer’s device (with permission) to troubleshoot directly. This allows the agent to perform necessary actions themselves, ensuring a more efficient and accurate resolution.
   
   

Visual engagement tools can significantly improve first call resolution rates by granting a clear understanding of the problem customers are facing, and enabling agents to provide solutions more quickly. They also enhance customer satisfaction by providing a more personalized and immediate form of support.

Improving first call resolution is within your reach, and visual engagement tools can be a game-changer. But with so many options available, how do you choose the right one? Be sure to check out our next blog post, where we discuss the 7 key areas to consider when evaluating visual engagement tools to guide you through the essential factors and help you make an informed decision. Alternatively, you can meet with one of our experts to discuss how LogMeIn Rescue’s visual engagement tools can revolutionize your customer support experience.