6 customer service software features to help you improve FCR

Level: Intermediate

Failing to achieve a good first contact resolution (FCR), i.e. resolving most enquiries on the first interaction, can have serious consequences.

This metric can lead to more dissatisfied customers who call back repeatedly in frustration. This situation has a negative impact on both the customer and agent experience.

Why is FCR so difficult to improve? Because it depends on many factors, including the customer service software you’re using.

On the one hand, FCR reflects the ability of agents to resolve issues during the first call. If agents lack the right knowledge or there are information silos, improving FCR will be a challenge.

On the other hand, it also depends on how streamlined our internal processes are. The easier it is to close a ticket or escalate an issue, the faster we can resolve a request.

That’s why it’s important to consider whether the software we use to help customers is helping or hindering us. If we want to improve this KPI, here are six key features that can’t be overlooked:

1. AI TO QUALIFY INTENT

The first step is to ensure that agents know the customer’s needs before the call begins. The IVR (Interactive Voice Response) menus we use to qualify intent don’t provide deep insight into the reason for the call, nor do they fully inform the agent of the information gathered.

Therefore, one of the current uses of AI for contact centres is to improve information gathering. This technology not only summarises the reason for the call or chat with complete accuracy, but also analyses the customer’s emotions and provides a detailed summary of the call or chat once it’s finished.

2. CALL AND CHAT ROUTING SYSTEM

The second step is to ensure that we have a system that connects customers to the best available agent.

Imagine a customer with a complex technical issue being automatically routed to the most technically skilled agent, while simpler queries are routed to junior agents.

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) tools allow us to set parameters, such as an agent’s skills, that are taken into account when routing a call.

However, ACD cannot be used in digital channels such as WhatsApp. That’s why many contact centres are opting for an AI-based model for advanced transfers.

For example, AI allows us to configure agents’ skills and take into account the last agent the customer interacted with, routing the chat or call to the same agent where possible.

3. INTEGRATION WITH AI AND CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

The third key point is to give agents instant access to all the information they need about the customer they’re serving.

On the one hand, we’ll need to integrate AI with customer service software so that the bot that qualifies the customer’s intent can send agents a summary and transcript of the previous conversation with the customer.

On the other hand, we’ll also need to integrate voice with the CRM, ERP or ticketing tool so that when the agent receives the call, the customer’s profile is automatically opened, showing their interaction history and any open cases.

4. INTERNAL CHAT FOR SUPPORT AGENTS

Resolving more than 80% of queries in the first interaction used to be impossible because it required all agents to have the same level of knowledge – until the arrival of artificial intelligence.

Just as we use ChatGPT personally to resolve questions, we can create a private ChatGPT that is fed by internal company knowledge (manuals, procedures, tips, etc.).

By enabling an internal chat with generative AI, agents can resolve queries that would otherwise need to be escalated to an expert or supervisor.

5. MONITOR FCR IN REAL TIME

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. That’s why it’s essential to have a dashboard within your customer service software that tracks this KPI in real time, both at an individual and team level.

With charts that update this metric on a second-by-second basis, we can quickly identify which processes are failing or which queries are more difficult to resolve on the first call.

6. SEND SATISFACTION SURVEYS

Listening to customer feedback is essential to improving FCR. Regular CSAT and NPS (Net Promoter Score) surveys allow us to identify problems from an external perspective.

That’s why our customer service software should allow us to send surveys whenever we want and review the results afterwards.

Customer feedback will help us identify specific areas of friction and address them before they escalate into major problems.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As we’ve discussed, there are many factors involved in improving first-time resolution. But it all starts with using the right technology.

Omnichannel Contact Centre, our customer service software, is already integrated with EVA, our virtual assistant, to help agents access more information and give supervisors better insight into the data.

LET US HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR FCR