Every call center leader knows that first call resolution is the ultimate performance metric, accounting for interactions that are successfully resolved without any further contact with the customer. But while FCR is given such priority for service managers across the world of business, many strategists are missing out on a powerful factor: call recording and analysis.
With these technologies and techniques, call center leaders can empower themselves, their agents and their operating staff to achieve huge upticks in FCR, using proven methods that target inefficiencies and recurring issues. Here’s a closer look at three factors that contribute to FCR, and how call recording and analysis tactics can give them a direct boost.
1. Routing methods: Even the most well-established call center has its strengths and weaknesses, and its agents are likely to be more comfortable and talented in certain areas than others. That’s why strategic agent routing is so critical to the operational improvement and boosting FCR. When callers are pointed in the right direction off the bat, their issues will be solved with greater accuracy and efficiency, leading to faster resolutions and a more positive experience overall.
“Recording helps leaders target inefficiencies and recurring issues.”
With call recording software that reveals the intricacies of agent performances, managers will have the knowledge they need to properly route calls based on subject matter and urgency. This will contribute to a smoother operation that makes the most of the available workforce and promotes first call resolution.
2. Agent training: Product familiarity, communications skills and process adherence are just a few elements of the call center agent knowledge base, all of which must be covered in ongoing training to ensure top performance and the maximization of FCR. As a blog article from CustomerThink contributor David Miller pointed out, access to real-time data and information sets are key in call center strategy, and from call recording, managers can lead meaningful, tactical training.
“The chance for FCR improvement lies buried within your systems and information,” explained Miller. “Data there can help you learn more about your customers and their escalation patterns. Analyzing customers’ contact patterns is critical to improving FCR. But you need to fully harvest the data points from your systems to make this effort work.”
3. Business reporting: It’s clear from these examples that FCR strategy is primarily related to the actual processes within the call center. However, recording can add another layer of value in this regard, as comprehensive analysis and reporting methods can help other lines of business create strong products and services that reduce the complexity and frequency of issues in the call center.
For example, a persistent software glitch or service shortcoming may become apparent from call analysis, shedding light on a problem that other lines of business may not have known. When the company quickly identifies and fixes these issues, it can drive FCR metrics in the call center while contributing to an overall more profitable business model.
FCR will always be the holy grail of call center performance, and with the right call recording software, managers can pave the way to higher and more consistent rates.
