Vyapar’s Growth Lead on Optimizing AHT and FCR

TL; DR

1. Balancing Average Handle Time (AHT) and First Call Resolution (FCR) is key to optimizing call center performance. While AHT measures the average duration of customer calls, FCR tracks the effectiveness of resolving issues on the first call. 
2. Striking the right balance between the two can lead to faster resolutions, better customer satisfaction, and lower operational costs. 
3. Vyapar's growth and strategy lead shares insights on how their company successfully managed this balance using Convin's AI-driven solutions, which provided real-time guidance and actionable insights to improve both metrics simultaneously.

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For businesses aiming to deliver exceptional customer experiences, the metrics Average Handle Time (AHT) and First Call Resolution (FCR) represent critical performance benchmarks. 

While AHT reflects the efficiency of interactions, FCR signifies the quality of resolutions provided. Striking a balance between these metrics is key to building customer trust, optimizing operational efficiency, and ensuring long-term business growth.

In a recent podcast, Vyapar’s Growth and Strategy Lead, Mohit Sidhwani shared their expertise in managing these metrics, highlighting the importance of process innovation, leveraging technology, and agent empowerment. Their insights provide a practical roadmap for fintech call centers to achieve sustainable success.

Get faster resolutions and better outcomes-optimize AHT and FCR. Get a demo today!

Why Business Growth Depends on AHT and FCR

For modern contact centers, the interplay between AHT and FCR directly impacts

1. Customer Retention

High FCR enhances customer trust and loyalty, while low AHT respects their time.

2. Cost Efficiency 

Efficient handling of calls reduces operational costs and prevents resource overutilization.

3. Agent Productivity

Balanced metrics improve agent morale and prevent burnout caused by unrealistic performance expectations.

Vyapar’s Growth and Strategy Lead Quotes:
"Customer experience is a key differentiator today. It’s no longer just about resolving queries—it’s about how efficiently and empathetically you do it."

The formula for calculating Average Handling Time (AHT) helps measure the efficiency of customer interactions by accounting for all key components of call handling.

Major Insights and Strategies for Optimizing AHT and FCR

1. Reframe the Metrics as Complementary, Not Conflicting

The traditional view often pits AHT against FCR, but the two metrics can be synergistic. Resolving issues efficiently on the first call often leads to lower handling times in the long run.

Segment customer queries by complexity and adjust agent workflows to handle straightforward issues quickly while dedicating more time to complex cases. Use predictive analytics to anticipate problems that may require longer handling times.

Insight from Vyapar:
"Your ultimate goal is to minimize the need for a second call. That starts with investing time during the first interaction."

2. Equip Agents with the Right Tools and Knowledge

Empowered agents are at the heart of balancing AHT and FCR. Giving them real-time, contextual guidance can significantly reduce the time spent searching for information and improve resolution accuracy.

Technology to Consider:

• AI-Powered Knowledge Bases: Solutions like Convin’s Real-Time Guidance and Capture Search allow agents to pull relevant data during the conversation without breaking flow.
• LMS-Integrated Training Modules: Incorporating training resources within the call center workflow helps agents upskill continuously, improving confidence and competence.

Ashish’s Perspective:
"When agents have immediate access to the right answers, it not only reduces handle time but also ensures customers feel heard and valued."

3. Build a Culture of Active Listening and Ownership

Customers want to feel understood, not hurried. Encouraging agents to listen and take ownership of resolutions actively improves both metrics.

Train agents to diagnose root causes effectively during the first call. Create a feedback loop to analyze unresolved issues and enhance training programs.

Vyapar’s Lead Insight:
"Empathy is efficiency’s best friend. Customers don’t just want fast solutions; they want accurate and personalized resolutions."

4. Leverage Data Analytics for Continuous Improvement

The path to balance lies in data-driven decision-making. Monitoring AHT, FCR, and First Response Time (FRT) can highlight bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

Metrics to Monitor:

• Average resolution time for different query types.
• Patterns in unresolved issues requiring follow-ups.
• The correlation between the customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) and AHT/FCR.

Tip: Use dashboards to present real-time metrics for agents and supervisors, enabling immediate corrective actions.

5. Prioritize Agent Well-Being for Sustainable Success

The pressure to reduce AHT can overwhelm agents if not managed thoughtfully. Building a supportive environment fosters better performance.

Set realistic expectations by balancing individual and team goals. Recognize and reward agents for achieving high FCR rather than penalizing longer call durations.

Quote from Vyapar’s Growth and Strategy Lead:
"Agents are your brand ambassadors. Happy agents create happy customers, which ultimately reflects in both AHT and FCR."

The Vyapar Playbook: Practical First Call Resolution Tips

1. Encourage cross-training so agents can handle diverse queries.
2. Use historical call data to predict issues and train agents accordingly.
3. Foster a culture of accountability where agents take ownership of resolving issues in one go.

The Bottom Line: Delivering Excellence at Scale

Balancing AHT and FCR is a strategic challenge that requires a multifaceted approach, blending operational efficiency with high-quality customer interactions. Vyapar’s growth story is a testament to how a contact center can reduce AHT and improve FCR, driving customer satisfaction and business outcomes.

By leveraging Convin’s AI-powered insights, Vyapar was able to analyze real-time data and identify critical areas for improvement in its customer service operations. The platform provided actionable guidance that helped agents resolve customer issues more quickly while ensuring that resolutions were effective on the first call.

Quote from Vyapar’s Growth and Strategy Lead:
"We faced the challenge of improving AHT without compromising FCR, and that’s where Convin made a difference. By using real-time data and AI-driven insights, we were able to fine-tune our approach and find the right balance that worked for us."

Convin’s Role in Vyapar’s Success

Through its Real-Time Guidance feature, Convin helped Vyapar identify key performance drivers and bottlenecks in its service process. This allowed them to streamline workflows, provide better support to agents, and deliver faster resolutions without sacrificing quality. 

As a result, Vyapar saw significant improvements in both AHT and FCR.

Impact in Numbers:

• 20% reduction in AHT within the first month of Convin’s implementation.
• 15% increase in FCR, leading to fewer repeat calls and reduced operational costs.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) directly result from faster, more practical issue resolutions.

Conclusion: A Blueprint for Contact Center Excellence

Vyapar’s journey demonstrates that FCR and AHT do not have to conflict. With the right tools and strategic approach, contact centers can optimize both metrics simultaneously, delivering efficiency while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. 

Businesses can create scalable, sustainable customer service operations that fuel growth and success by incorporating AI-driven insights and empowering agents with real-time guidance.

Discover how Vyapar optimized AHT and FCR using Convin’s real-time insights. Get a demo today!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is average handle time in a call center?
AHT (Average Handle Time) measures the average duration of a customer call, including talk time, hold time and after-call work.

2. How does AHT impact customer satisfaction?
Lower AHT can lead to quicker resolutions, but if it sacrifices quality, it can negatively impact customer satisfaction.

3. What is a good average handle time target for call centers?
A good AHT target varies by industry, but generally, a lower AHT (around 5-6 minutes) is ideal without compromising service quality.

4. How can AHT be reduced without affecting service quality?
Using AI-driven tools and real-time guidance can help agents resolve issues faster while ensuring the quality of the resolution.

5. How does the average handle time affect call center costs?
Reducing AHT can lower operational costs by increasing the total number of calls handled per agent, but it should not come at the expense of resolution quality.