The Problem
Every Extra Touch Costs Time and Trust
When customers don't get resolution on first contact, tickets bounce between queues, age increases, and cost-per-ticket climbs. Low FCR (First Contact Resolution) is usually a symptom of missing knowledge, poor intake quality, access gaps, or routing errors. Fixing FCR tightens SLAs, reduces backlog, and frees experts for work only they can do.
The Framework
Risk Conditions (Act Early)
Fire this play when leading indicators slip:
- FCR ↓ ≥ 5 percentage points over 2–4 weeks
- Repeat contacts/reopens ↑ on the same categories
- AHT ↑ on top-5 contact reasons (diagnostic thrash)
- L1→L2 escalations ↑ ≥ 5–10pp on high-volume categories
- CSAT "effort" comments rising (customers chasing answers)
Action: Identify target categories, fix intake and knowledge paths, and remove access blockers.
Issue Conditions (Already in Trouble)
Move to containment if any apply:
- SLA breach rate on L1 queues > threshold (7–14d)
- Oldest-age tickets concentrated in non-resolved-but-answered cases
- High reopen rate due to incomplete steps or missing permissions
Action: Stand up golden-path runbooks, a rapid coaching loop, and time-boxed L1 enablement.
Common Diagnostics
Quick checks to select the right interventions:
- Category analysis: Which 10 issues cause most non-FCR outcomes?
- Knowledge health: Do we have task-level articles with screenshots and validation steps? Usage <10%?
- Intake quality: Do forms capture device/OS/app/version/error code/impact?
- Access gaps: Which tasks fail due to missing L1 permissions or tool seats?
- Routing fit: Are tickets landing in the right L1 skill group on first try?
- Reopen patterns: Which validation steps are consistently skipped?
Step-by-Step Guide
Target & Design
Actions:
- Pick top 10 non-FCR categories (volume × fixability × business impact)
- Create "Golden Path" runbooks (diagnose → resolve → validate → document) with screenshots and failure branches
- Add validation checklists (what must be true before closing)
- Tune intake forms to require 3–5 decisive fields per category
Expected Impact: Fewer bounces; cleaner handoffs; faster L1 decisions.
Enable Front Line
Actions:
- Grant safe permissions (or Just-In-Time elevation) for L1 to complete fixes
- Tooling shortcuts: one-click scripts, remote actions, pre-filled commands
- Knowledge embedding: surface article snippets in the ticket UI; add search synonyms
- Daily 15-min coaching bar with L2 for target categories; capture answers back into KB
Expected Impact: FCR +8–12pp in 30–60 days on targeted categories.
Contain & Recover
Actions:
- Route matching tickets to newly enabled L1 pods first
- Freeze escalation on enabled categories until runbook steps are exhausted
- Reopen review within 24h: fix the missing validation step or update runbook/KB
- Backlog SWAT: pair L2/L3 with L1 to clear oldest-age items and transfer know-how live
Expected Impact: Rapid reduction in bounces and reopens; SLA stabilization.
Institutionalize
Actions:
- Quarterly category review: FCR, AHT, escalations, reopens → refresh runbooks
- Automation candidates: promote stable steps to scripts/bots
- Skill matrices & certification: L1 breadth incentives; rotate coaches
- Forecasting/WFM: reflect FCR gains in staffing and training plans
Expected Impact: Durable FCR improvement and lower cost-per-ticket.
KPIs to Track
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| FCR (overall & targeted categories) | ↑ 8–12pp in 30–60 days |
| Reopen rate | ↓ to baseline or better |
| AHT (target categories) | Flat/↓ after runbook stabilization |
| L1→L2 escalations | ↓ 20–40% on enabled categories |
| CSAT "effort" theme | ↓ in verbatims (lower customer effort) |
Warning Signals
Real Scenarios
Password Reset FCR Improvement
Context
Password reset FCR at 65% (target 90%). Analysis shows L1 lacks permissions to unlock accounts in AD.
Steps
- 1.Document the full password reset workflow end-to-end
- 2.Request JIT elevation for L1 to unlock accounts
- 3.Create golden-path runbook with screenshots
- 4.Add validation step: user confirms access restored
- 5.Track FCR weekly for 4 weeks—target 85%+
Software Installation Escalation Spike
Context
Software install tickets escalating to L2 at 40% rate. Root cause: L1 lacks admin rights on endpoints.
Steps
- 1.Identify top 10 software requests by volume
- 2.Deploy remote admin tool or LAPS for L1 use
- 3.Create runbooks for each software type
- 4.Set up 15-min daily coaching bar with L2
- 5.Target escalation rate ↓ to 15% in 30 days
Quick Wins
Start with these immediate actions:
- Identify the top 10 categories with lowest FCR
- Audit L1 permissions for those categories
- Create a golden-path runbook for the #1 non-FCR category
- Set up a daily 15-min coaching bar between L1 and L2
Related Playbooks
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