A recent study found out that in the telecommunication sector, the average First Call Resolution (FCR) rate is 52 percent with a maximum performance of 68 percent. When compared to other industries, that’s quite low. The minimum FCR rate for a company must be in the range of 75 to 80 percent.
When it comes to the contact center industry’s average, it takes 1.4 calls to resolve a customer’s problem or query. If customers don’t get their issues or queries resolved in the first call, it takes on average 2.5 calls to resolve their call.
As per a report by SQM Group, for every one percent improvement in the FCR rate, a call center reduces its operating costs by one percent. Repeat calls correspond to 23 percent of the average contact center’s operating budget.
Even if an organization manages to achieve 80 percent FCR rate, it still means the issues and queries of 20 percent of customers don’t get resolved and answered on the first call. The chances of dissatisfaction among a majority of those 20 percent of customers are high.
That’s why telecom companies must aim for maximum FCR rate as it’s possible for them to achieve. In this blog post, we have listed some challenges telecom companies face in achieving high FCR and which features of the right contact center software can help them improve FCR rate. Read on and thank us later.
Challenges Telecom Companies Face in Achieving High FCR
The telecom sector faces many unique challenges than other sectors. The challenges impact the FCR rate of many telecom companies as they
- Complexity of Issues
Telecom services deal with a wide range of complex technical issues such as network connectivity, billing discrepancies, equipment compatibility, and issues related to service plans. To resolve these issues, technicians and agents not only require specialized knowledge, technical expertise, and years of experience but also time to check and find out the root causes of the problems and resolve those.
- High Call Volumes
Any phone line or a network can only handle a certain amount of call traffic. If the number of calls goes above the maximum limit, it is regarded as a high call volume situation. It is not new for telecom companies. Telecom providers experience high call volumes during peak times such as festivals, new product launches, and service outages. When call volumes are at their peak, the FCR rate gets affected.
- Skill and Training Gaps
This is one of the major reasons for low FCR rate in the telecom sector. When agents are not adequately trained and their skill sets are not up to the mark, then they cannot resolve customers’ queries and issues on the very first call. To achieve a desirable FCR rate, telecom companies must train their agents well and ensure that their agents possess both technical knowledge and soft skills.
Contact Center Software Features To Enhance FCR Rate
Here are some of the key features that top contact center software should have to enhance FCR in the telecom industry:
- Multi-Level IVR
When it comes to increasing FCR rate, the role of a sophisticated and reliable multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system cannot be overstated. The right IVR system can help telecom companies improve their FCR rate in two ways.
First, it helps callers avail self-service options. Many studies find that a majority of callers would prefer self-service options over interacting with an agent. Callers looking for self-service can use IVR to resolve common problems and queries. One research found that the IVR self-service FCR rate is 74 percent. Second, multi-level IVR systems present several options to callers and based on their inputs the calls are routed to the right departments and agents.
- Skill-Based Routing
When callers are routed to the right department and agents with the most appropriate and relevant skills, expertise, and experience to answer their questions and solve their problems, the chances of FCR is extremely high.
By combining multi-level IVR systems with intuitive skill-based routing, sophisticated contact center software can analyze various factors such as customer history, issue complexity, agent skills, and availability. By connecting customers with the right agent, sophisticated contact center software can significantly improve FCR rates of telecom companies.
- Omnichannel Communication
Would you be surprised if we tell you that nine out of every ten customers expect seamless communication across multiple channels? Be it voice calls, video conferencing, text messages, instant messages, live chats, emails, and social media, a study revealed that 90 percent of customers expect their telecom companies to provide an omnichannel experience.
But what omnichannel communication has got to do with FCR rate? As it turns out, a lot! When telecom companies manage to integrate separate channels into a single interface, they enable their agents to view customers’ details and communication history irrespective of the channel used. The unified approach allows customers to seamlessly switch channels and enjoy faster resolution of their queries and a consistent experience.
- Integrated CRM Systems
When agents have instant access to customer profiles, transaction and purchase history, preferences, as well as previous interactions and contextual information (if any), then the likelihood of resolving customers’ queries and problems increases by leaps and bounds.
That’s precisely what integration between contact center software and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can do for telecom companies.
- Real-time Analytics and Reporting Tools
“Only what gets measured, gets managed.” “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” Both quotes by management guru and best-selling author Peter F. Drucker is so apt for calculating FCR rate and knowing where telecom companies can improve their performance. For telecom companies to know their FCR rate, they must be able to calculate it as accurately as possible.
When telecom companies are equipped with the right analytics and reporting tools, they are better able to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) and know where they can improve in terms of FCR rate. Apart from FCR rate, real-time analytics and reporting tools enable managers and supervisors to calculate several other critical metrics such as call volumes, on-hold time, and customer satisfaction score.
- Quality Assurance and Training Resources
As award-winning customer service and experience expert Shep Hyken famously said, “Don’t think of what it costs to train your employees in customer service. Think what it costs not to train them.” When telecom companies have the right quality assurance tools and training modules, they can improve agents’ performance.
The right contact center software supports a wide range of training resources and by doing so, it enhances the FCR rate.
To Summarize,
In the telecom sector, the FCR rate holds immense value. Companies that have superior FCR rates have a massive advantage over their counterparts that don’t have high FCR rates. Leveraging sophisticated contact center software can enable telecom firms to enhance their FCR rates by leaps and bounds. If you are looking to enhance FCR rates, please consider investing in a high-quality contact center software solution.
