Improving first call resolution (FCR) percentage in an offshore call center

Improving first call resolution (FCR) percentage in an offshore call center

I'm working as a supervisor in a technical support call center in India. Here's my problem: I'm required to maintain a consistent first call resolution (FCR) of 75% for a week. I have 13 agents in my team and the FCR is calculated for seven days; i.e., if the customer calls us on the first of a month, he should not call again until the seventh of the same month. To this point, I've been able to achieve only 55%, which is very low. Could you please suggest the best way to improve my FCR percentage?

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FCR can be impacted by tools, training, processes, staff, or other factors, including issues with products or documentation, follow-through from shipping (e.g., parts or replacement products), or follow-through from other parts of the business, such as field support.

If you are not meeting your goals, I would start with a careful analysis of why contacts are not closing. You can do this through some call observations, focus groups with staff, and data analysis. Once you have a sense for why calls are not being resolved, you can begin to address the problems – whether they reside in the center itself, or with some other part of the business that the center relies on.

You may also need to dig into how the target was set. It may be that you have an unrealistic target and need to make the case for that. The analysis will help you gather the information you need either way.

This was first published in August 2006