CX & Support Metrics

First Contact Resolution (FCR)

Definition

First Contact Resolution (FCR) is the percentage of customer issues fully resolved in a single interaction, without any follow-up, callback, or reopened ticket.

Also known as: FCRfirst call resolutionone-touch resolution

How to calculate it

FCR = (issues resolved on the first contact ÷ total issues) × 100. "First contact" means no repeat contact about the same issue within a defined window (often 24–72 hours) and no reopened ticket.

Example: of 500 tickets, 350 are resolved without any follow-up contact. FCR = 350 ÷ 500 × 100 = 70%. Teams differ on the window and on whether transfers count, so always confirm the exact definition.

Why it matters

FCR is strongly linked to both satisfaction and cost — resolving on the first touch means less customer effort and no second ticket to staff. A rising FCR usually signals better knowledge, routing, and agent enablement, while a falling one hints at gaps that generate repeat contacts.

Frequently asked

What is a good first contact resolution rate?

Benchmarks vary by channel and complexity, but many support teams target 70–75%. What matters most is measuring it consistently and watching the trend.

How does FCR relate to customer effort?

Closely. Every repeat contact adds effort, so higher FCR generally means lower customer effort and higher loyalty.

Related terms

Resolution Rate

Resolution rate is the percentage of support tickets or conversations that are successfully resolved out of the total received in a given period..

Reopen Rate

Reopen rate is the percentage of resolved or closed support tickets that are subsequently reopened, usually because the customer's issue wasn't actually fixed..

Customer Effort Score (CES)

Customer Effort Score (CES) is a metric that measures how much effort a customer had to expend to get their issue resolved or their request completed, usually from a short post-interaction survey..

Average Resolution Time

Average Resolution Time is the average length of time it takes to fully resolve a support ticket, measured from when it's created to when it's marked solved..

Escalation Rate

Escalation rate is the percentage of support tickets that are escalated beyond the first agent or tier — to a specialist, manager, or higher support level — before being resolved..

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