First Contact Resolution Rate (FCR Rate)

Although FCR Rate is a widely used metric and is tied to customer satisfaction, it can easily result in the opposite if taken to the extreme. It's important to continually monitor this metric in comparison with Ticket Reopen Rate so that the quality of service doesn't suffer as FCR Rate expands. At times, agents may solve a ticket on their first attempt but not resolve the customer’s actual issue; leaving them feeling unsatisfied and frustrated with their experience. The risk of customer dissatisfaction grows as the FCR rate increases.

FCR Rate differs significantly between industries and is affected by such things as product complexity and customer support workflows (for example, whether they have self-serve options and best practice guidelines for most frequently asked questions).

The higher the first contact resolution rate, the better. Thanks to a high FCR Rate, service costs can usually be reduced, scalability of the service business model guaranteed, and customer satisfaction increased.