Why Should You Aim for First Call Resolution?

In medical call centers, the concept of first-call resolution (FCR) is essential in offering excellent patient services. Achieving a high first-call resolution rate boosts efficiency by reducing the wait time in the call center. First-call resolution has several other benefits.

What Is First-Call Resolution?

FCR is the ability of the call center to resolve a caller’s concerns during their initial contact without transferring the call or scheduling the follow-ups. First-call resolution garners a lot of attention because it’s the key driver of customer satisfaction.

Benefits of First Call Resolution

Here are the key reasons why first-call resolution is important:

1. Retaining Customers

Attending to patients’ needs promptly is the greatest way to ensure their loyalty. A customer who is dissatisfied with your response may look for your competitors, but an elevated satisfaction with first-call resolution may retain them.

2. Maximize Agent Productivity

Reducing the number of repeat requests regarding the same issue will save time and enhance productivity. The call center agent will have time to concentrate on other patients’ requests.

3. Reduce Operational Costs

First-call resolution dramatically reduces operation costs because repeat calls mean more charges. The reduction improves operational efficiency and saves the healthcare facility money for other improvements.

How to Enhance the First-Call Resolution Rate

The first-call resolution rate is an important metric to monitor in a healthcare facility as it gauges patient satisfaction while simultaneously reducing operating costs. This rate measures the percentage of patient issues resolved during their first call. Here are several ways to improve the FCR rate:

1. Training

The foundation of offering a good first-call resolution is the comprehensive training and expertise of the call center agent. Agents should consistently learn and master the new healthcare policies, procedures, and systems to handle various inquiries efficiently.

2. Authority

Agents with in-depth decision-making knowledge can offer a good FCR. However, having the authority makes it even better, as the agents are fully informed about recent healthcare campaigns, product launches, or known issues. This gives them the authority to resolve specific issues without transferring the calls.

3. Supportive Environment

A supportive work environment minimizes inefficiencies and promotes collaboration among agents to make the work easier. With better collaboration, the agents and management simplify complex healthcare policies and streamline procedures to make call center operations easier.

Need Excellent Call Center Automation Services?

With the increased competition in the modern health sector, implementing technology is essential. Sequence Health offers modern medical call center services to ensure patient satisfaction and reduce operation costs.