Support Teams and FCR
Sallisaw’s customers will benefit from work processes founded in first call resolution (FCR) concepts.
This page describes my current understanding of customer support in our city. Customer support desks (call centers, administration, and help desks) should be continuously working toward first call resolution (FCR) and high customer satisfaction scores.
Download an aspirational description of FCR for Sallisaw.
Current Teams Listed as Customer Service
- Supervisor( 1 personnel)
- Utilities (3 personnel)
- DiamondNet (2 personnel)
- Municipal Court (1 personnel)
Reducing Shadow (duplicate or rogue) Support
Similar to Shadow HR, shadow customer support service sometimes exist within other departments. While embedding customer support within a department might make sense, an alternative is to combine all of the basic customer support needs into a single team.
Passing phone calls from one department to the next results in frustrated customers, inefficient operations and extra cost. “First Call Resolution” is the expression used in business situations. A different way of saying this might be a “One Stop Shop.”
Some examples of shadow customer support in Sallisaw’s municipal government might include:
- Basic code enforcement inquiries
- Basic zoning and street inquiries
- Sanitation collection inquiries
- Basic job and HR inquiries
- New resident setup
Example 1
Using a new resident as an example, customer care could establish power, water, and internet connections in a single phone call. Clarification about sanitation collection could be given during that same call as well as clarificaton and about Sallisaw schools and their contact information.
Example 2
Using a long-time resident as an example, issues related to street needs, code enforcement, and animal control could be reported or resolved with one call rather than multiple calls.
What is First Call Resolutions?
The concept of First Call Resolution (FCR) measures how effectively a contact center resolves customer issues during the initial interaction. It helps assess the center’s efficiency and agents’ effectiveness in managing customer relationships. FCR is calculated as the percentage of calls or contacts resolved on the first interaction. This metric is important for contact centers as it directly impacts customer satisfaction, agent morale, and training needs.
What are the Benefits of FCR?
First Call Resolution offers several general benefits for contact centers. One significant advantage is its positive impact on customer satisfaction. When customer issues are resolved quickly and efficiently during the initial interaction, it leads to higher customer satisfaction scores. Additionally, FCR can boost agent morale by reducing stress and providing a sense of accomplishment. This positive impact on agents can contribute to a more positive work environment and improve team morale.
How can FCR be Improved?
Improving FCR involves various strategies, such as scheduling extra staff for peak times (e.g., early morning and lunch time).
Other strategies include creating a knowledge base to document answers to common questions, providing training to empower agents, and gathering continuous data to understand where the customer experience may fail.
Additionally, addressing issues such as call complexity, product or service issues, technological problems, long hold times, and customer service team limitations can help narrow down potential factors affecting FCR and provide suggestions for fixing them.
FCR: Process Maturity Levels
Using process maturity stages is useful for sequencing increasing levels of improvement. These stages include (1) foundational, (2) repeatable, (3) defined, (4) managed, and (5) optimized. Each level represents a stage of maturity in the FCR process, indicating the organization’s ability to achieve first-call resolutions and continuously improve its processes.
Key metrics for evaluating FCR include first call resolution rate, operating costs reduction, customer satisfaction increase, customer retention, employee experience improvement, call quality, customer experiences, and technological capabilities.
Level 0: Starting Point
- No established guidelines for handling customer inquiries
- Agents lack basic training on issue-resolution techniques
- Lack of system for documenting common customer queries and solutions
Level 1: Foundational Steps
- Establish clear guidelines for handling customer inquiries.
- Provide basic training to agents on issue-resolution techniques.
- Implement a system for documenting common customer queries and solutions.
Level 2: Repeatable Steps
- Develop standard processes for different types of customer inquiries.
- Conduct regular training sessions to enhance agent skills and knowledge.
- Implement customer feedback methods to identify areas for improvement.
Level 3: Defined Steps
- Further refine and document standard processes for different types of customer inquiries.
- Provide specialized training for agents to handle specific types of customer issues.
- Gather insights for improvement through customer feedback methods
Level 4: Managed FCR Processes
- Use advanced analytics to identify trends and patterns in customer inquiries.
- Implement cross-functional teams to address complex customer issues.
- Establish service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure timely issue resolution.
Level 5: Optimized FCR capabilities
- Leverage advanced technology such as AI and automation for issue resolution
- Proactively address potential customer issues before they arise
- Continuously analyze and refining FCR processes to achieve maximum efficiency
Related topics are Efficiency and Provocative Business Change.