Improve First Call Resolution with 3 Easy Steps

Regardless of your business type or industry, customer service is of the upmost importance. And luckily, your phone service allows you to measure and track a number of metrics that impact your customer service levels.

One of the most critical indicators of customer service levels is first call resolution. Because of its specific impact on the satisfaction levels of your customers, this article will explore ways to improve it. We’ll discuss first call resolution with 3 easy steps that you can begin implementing in your business.

What is First Call Resolution?

First call resolution is one of the most important metrics for measuring customer service levels. First call resolution is the idea of successfully assisting a customer or potential customer the first time they call. This metric can give you an insight into your customer service levels because if you have high first call resolution, that means your customers are helped quickly and thus, are probably satisfied. First call resolution can be better managed by utilizing tools provided on your phone system. We’ll discuss these in detail below.

Skills-Based Routing

The main factor in achieving a high rate of first call resolution is whether a customer reaches the right employee or agent immediately. If a caller reaches someone who can’t assist them, then they’ll be transferred. This can be a frustrating experience for your customers.

To address this, consider implementing skills-based routing. This call routing feature can help connect callers to an employee with the skills to assist them with whatever they need the first time that they call in. For instance, if a customer needs assistance paying their bill, they’ll automatically be sent to the billing department rather than a customer support representative that will, in the long run, need to transfer them anyway.

IVR Setup/Scripting

Call routing can also be managed with your IVR auto attendant system. Using prompts and cues, your callers can input their needs and reach their desired department for assistance. If your script is effectively written and easily understood, your IVR system can understand your callers’ specific needs. The IVR system uses this information to direct callers to the right agent or department. This is effective because rather than having a receptionist try to understand an issue and direct a caller, the system is specifically set up and the script is written with cues that make the most sense.

Knowledge Base Development

Another way to improve first call resolution is to provide customers with the information they need to solve their own issues. By providing your customers with access to a knowledge base to help troubleshoot a problem on their own, they won’t even need to reach out to your staff for assistance. Work with your support staff to write articles for your knowledge base based on frequently asked questions or common issues. This will then become a customers’ first resource for any of their concerns.

First call resolution and acknowledging its importance is critical for successful customer service tactics. Utilize the metric tracking tools available on your phone system to track your progress on improving first call resolution. Ideally, all customers should be able to remedy their issues with one phone call, so be sure to strive for this level of customer care.