How To Measure And Improve First Contact Resolution (FCR) In Your Contact Center

By Chris Kontes, Balto

When a customer reaches out for help, one thing matters most: getting it right the first time. 

First Contact Resolution (FCR) is the percentage of customer issues resolved during the initial interaction, with no need for a follow-up, escalation, or repeat contact.

The FCR formula is: FCR = (Issues Resolved on First Contact / Total Issues Handled) x 100

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to measure first contact resolution (FCR) step-by-step.

We’ll also cover what a “good” FCR means. Hint: aim for 70-85% of issues solved with one contact. 

FCR can be difficult to measure and even harder to improve. Common challenges and their solutions include:

Let’s break it down, starting with what FCR really means.

What Is First Contact Resolution (FCR)?

First Contact Resolution (FCR) is a customer service metric that measures whether a customer’s issue was fully resolved in their first interaction with your support team, without the need for follow-up.

If a customer contacts your call center, chatbot, or help desk with a question or problem, and that issue is successfully handled on the spot, it counts as FCR.

It’s not about speed — it’s about effectiveness. The goal is to resolve the issue right the first time, not just close the ticket.

Net vs. Gross First Contact Resolution (FCR)

Not all FCR numbers are created equal. 

Depending on how you define and track “resolution,” your data might reflect a gross or net approach, and knowing the difference is key to setting reliable benchmarks.

Gross FCR

This version counts all customer interactions in the denominator, including repeat contacts, incomplete cases, or issues that never got fully resolved.

Formula: Gross FCR = (Issues resolved on first contact / Total interactions) × 100

• Pros: Easy to calculate at scale
• Cons: May overstate or understate resolution due to noise in the data

Net FCR

This version only includes resolvable cases — that is, contacts where a resolution was actually possible. It excludes escalations, abandoned calls, and incomplete cases.

Formula: Net FCR = (Issues resolved on first contact / Total resolvable contacts) × 100

• Pros: More accurate measure of agent and process effectiveness
• Cons: Requires clearer definitions and cleaner data

Why It Matters

Gross FCR gives a broader view of the contact center workload.

Net FCR gives a more meaningful view of performance and customer experience.

Most mature support teams track both, using gross FCR for capacity planning and net FCR for coaching, QA, and improvement.

The Importance of First Contact Resolution (FCR) 

Now that we’ve covered what is First Contact Resolution (FCR), we can cover why it matters. In brief, FCR is one of the clearest indicators of how well your contact center is performing — and how satisfied your customers are.

When a customer’s issue is solved the first time they reach out, it builds trust, reduces frustration, and keeps support costs under control.

Here’s why FCR is a critical metric:

• It improves customer satisfaction (CSAT): No one likes repeating themselves. FCR is strongly correlated with higher CSAT and Net Promoter Scores.
• It lowers operational costs: Repeat contacts drive up staffing needs and increase handle time. Higher FCR means fewer touches per issue and lower cost to serve.
• It boosts agent efficiency: Agents who resolve more on the first try spend less time following up or revisiting old cases, freeing them up for new interactions.
• It increases customer loyalty and retention: A fast, effective resolution builds positive brand perception, especially in high-stakes industries like finance, healthcare, and tech.
• It reflects internal process health: Low FCR may point to gaps in training, documentation, routing, or tooling, making it a useful “canary in the coal mine” for broader CX issues.

The more you can resolve in one touch, the fewer touches you need overall – and the happier your customers (and your agents) will be.

How To Measure First Contact Resolution (FCR) Accurately

Measuring FCR isn’t as simple as counting closed tickets. To get a true picture, you need to define what “resolved” means — and track whether it happened on the first interaction, across any channel.

What does “Resolved” mean?  “Resolved” doesn’t always mean “closed.” A case should only count toward FCR if the customer’s original issue was fully addressed, without needing to follow up.

To measure FCR accurately, your team should define resolution based on:

• Customer confirmation (via post-call survey or agent notes)
• No repeat contact within a set timeframe (e.g., 1–7 days)
• No escalation or transfer required
• All required follow-up actions completed

The more consistent your definition of resolution, the more reliable your FCR data will be.

First Contact Resolution (FCR) Formula & Examples

The formula for First Contact Resolution (FCR) is: 

FCR (%) = (Total issues resolved on first contact ÷ Total issues handled) × 100

This formula can be applied to gross or net FCR, depending on whether you include all cases or only resolvable ones.

Let’s consider the following example:

• Total issues handled: 1,000
• Resolved on first contact: 780

FCR = (780 ÷ 1,000) × 100 = 78%

If 100 of those cases were not actually resolvable (e.g., escalated, abandoned), your net FCR might look more like:

Net FCR = (780 ÷ 900) × 100 = 86.7%

How To Improve First Contact Resolution (FCR) In Your Contact Center

Improving FCR starts long before the call and goes beyond agent performance alone. It’s about designing a support experience that prioritizes speed and clarity from the first touch.

Here’s how to improve first contact resolution (FCR) in your contact center: 

1. Empower Agents with Real-Time Guidance

Equip agents with tools like Balto that provide live prompts, checklists, and next-best actions based on the conversation, reducing missed steps and escalations.

2. Keep the Knowledge Base Centralized and Current

If agents are hunting through outdated documents, FCR will suffer. Ensure your internal resources are searchable, streamlined, and integrated into the call flow.

3. Route Calls Intelligently

Use IVR menus or AI-based routing to connect customers with the right agent the first time. Misrouted calls almost guarantee a second contact.

4. Train Agents to Own the Resolution

Encourage first-call ownership: agents should be empowered to fully resolve, not just transfer or deflect. Support them with escalation protocols that are easy to follow when needed.

5. Offer Self-Service for Simple Issues

Let customers handle low-complexity requests — like password resets or shipment tracking — through bots, help articles, or IVRs. This frees agents to focus on complex resolutions.

6. Follow Up – So They Don’t Have To

When resolution involves delayed steps (e.g., refunds, callbacks), close the loop proactively so customers don’t feel the need to reach back out.

First Call Resolution (FCR) Industry Benchmarks

What counts as a “good” FCR rate?

It depends on your industry, channel mix, and the complexity of your customer inquiries — but here’s a general guide:

Top-performing contact centers across industries aim to provide first contact resolution (FCR) rates above 85%, but even a 5–10% improvement can significantly boost CSAT and reduce operational costs.

Try benchmarking against:

• Your own historical data (month-over-month trends)
• Your FCR by channel (voice, chat, email)
• Industry-specific peers with similar support complexity

Common Challenges in Tracking First Contact Resolution (FCR) & How to Overcome Them

FCR is one of the most valuable customer service metrics — and one of the hardest to measure accurately. 

Here’s where teams often get tripped up, and how to fix it.

Inconsistent Definitions of “Resolution”

Some teams count ticket closures. Others require customer satisfaction confirmation.

Fix: Standardize your definition — ideally combining internal data (no follow-ups, no escalations) with external input (post-call survey).

Difficulty Tracking Repeat Contacts

Without strong case linking, solid after-call work hygiene, or customer ID systems, it’s hard to know if an issue was truly resolved on first contact.

Fix: Implement ticket tracking across channels using CRMs or case management tools with robust reporting. 

Omnichannel Complexity

Customers may switch from chat to email to phone. If systems aren’t integrated, these feel like separate issues.

Fix: Use unified platforms and customer IDs to connect conversations across channels.

Delayed Follow-Up Needs

Sometimes an issue appears resolved, but the customer calls back later when the fix doesn’t stick.

Fix: Add a “resolution window” (e.g., no contact for 48–72 hours) before logging the case as resolved.

Survey Drop-Off

Relying only on post-call surveys can skew results, especially with low response rates.

Fix: Use blended methods, such as self-reported + operational (e.g., reopened tickets, no second contact within the window).

The more consistent and transparent your FCR methodology is, the more actionable your data becomes for agents, managers, and executives alike.

First Contact Resolution (FCR) As A KPI Vs. Other Support Metrics

FCR is one of the most insightful metrics in customer service — but it doesn’t live in a vacuum. To understand performance holistically, it’s important to track it alongside other KPIs.

Think of FCR as the glue for call center productivity metrics: it connects effort, satisfaction, speed, and quality into one telling metric. But pairing first call resolution KPIs with other KPIs is what makes it actionable.

Here’s how FCR compares to other common support metrics:

Make Every Contact Count

First Contact Resolution isn’t just a performance metric — it’s a reflection of how well your contact center understands and supports its customers. 

When done right, improving FCR boosts satisfaction, lowers operational costs, and empowers agents to do their best work.

By tracking FCR accurately, identifying root causes of repeat contacts, and investing in tools that support resolution on the first try, your team can turn this metric into a competitive advantage.

Chris Kontes is Co-Founder of Balto Software.  He may be reached at ch***@***********re.com.  For more information about Balto, go to www.balto.ai.