What is a Resolution Rate?
Resolution rate is a metric that compares the number of tickets assigned to an agent or organization to how many are solved within a certain period of time. The resolution rate formula looks like this:
solved tickets / received tickets x 100 = resolution rate
Resolution rate is used to rank agents on how well they’re solving customer problems and to determine the overall efficacy of the customer service organization. Knowing your resolution rate also helps you to know whether you’re meeting your service level agreement (SLA) — a contract with your customers that promises a certain degree or timeframe for issue resolution.
Importance of Resolution Rate in Customer Service
Resolution rate is a primary indicator of the effectiveness of your customer service organization. It proves that you’re solving customer problems in a timely manner.
Note that resolution rate is not the same thing as first contact resolution, which tracks how many issues were resolved the first time the customer contacted your organization. Resolution rate, on the other hand, tracks whether issues were eventually resolved, and how long it took to get there.
Companies might track resolution rate daily, weekly, monthly, annually, etc. A “good” resolution rate varies from industry to industry, and also from channel to channel. Customers may have different expectations for how fast their issues will be resolved over email versus live chat or a phone call.
Resolution rate, of course, is not a standalone metric. Simply because one agent resolves more issues than another does not mean the first agent is performing better. There are other factors, such as the quality of the service each agent provides. It’s critical to review NPS scores that clients submit to get a more subjective view on your agent behavior and performance.
How Helpshift Supports Resolution Rate
Helpshift offers the following metrics under your Summary by agents tab of your dashboard:
- Agent score
- Average survey rating
- Holding time
- Time to first response
- Average time to resolve
- First contact resolution rate
- Acceptance rate
- Outbound interactions
Helpshift also offers support in defining and interpreting these metrics so that you know what to look for and how to improve your efforts over time.
In general, Helpshift supports your efforts to increase your resolution rate with a suite of integrated tools that allow you to communicate with customers on whichever channel is more convenient and comfortable for them, without having to stitch together disparate conversations. Our customer service platform gives customers frustration-free self-service options which deflect incoming tickets in the first place.
And for tickets that are opened, agents have access to a powerful desktop experience that allows them to respond quickly and with full context and information so they can be productive and speedy. It’s a scalable, effective way to manage customer service across all digital and traditional channels at once.
