How to Measure and Improve Average Resolution Time
What is Average Resolution Time in Customer Support and why you should keep a track of it?
Average resolution time (ART) is a metric that measures the amount of time it takes for customer support teams to resolve customer issues. It is an important indicator of the efficiency and effectiveness of a company's customer support processes, and is often used to track and improve the quality of support provided to customers.
How to calculate Average Resolution Time
To calculate ART, the total resolution time for all customer issues in a given period of time is divided by the number of issues resolved. For example, if a customer support team resolves 100 issues in a month, and the total resolution time for those issues is 500 hours, the ART for that month would be 500/100 = 5 hours.
There are several reasons why it is important for businesses to track and monitor their ART. First, a high ART can indicate that customer support processes are inefficient, which can lead to frustrated customers and a negative impact on customer satisfaction. By tracking ART, businesses can identify bottlenecks in their support processes and work to resolve them, improving the overall efficiency of their customer support operations.
In addition, tracking ART can help businesses understand the types of issues that are taking the longest to resolve, and allocate resources accordingly. For example, if a particular type of issue consistently has a higher ART, the business may choose to allocate more resources to that area in order to improve resolution times.
Another benefit of tracking ART is that it can help businesses set and track customer support goals. By establishing an ART target, businesses can work to improve their resolution times over time, and measure their progress towards meeting that goal.
Finally, tracking ART can provide valuable insights into customer behavior and needs. By analyzing ART data, businesses can identify trends in the types of issues that are being reported, and use that information to improve their products or services.
Industry benchmarks for average resolution times
In summary, tracking average resolution time is an important part of running a successful customer support operation. By monitoring this metric, businesses can identify inefficiencies in their support processes, allocate resources effectively, set and track customer support goals, and gain insights into customer behavior and needs.
Reducing average resolution times: Common challenges
Lack of resources
One of the most common challenges businesses face when trying to reduce their ART is a lack of resources. Customer support teams may be understaffed, or may not have the necessary tools and technology to effectively resolve customer issues in a timely manner. To overcome this challenge, businesses may need to invest in additional staffing or equipment, or reorganize their support processes to make better use of the resources they have available.
Lack of visibility
Another challenge that businesses may encounter when trying to reduce their ART is a lack of visibility into the customer support process. Without a clear understanding of how long it takes to resolve different types of issues, and where bottlenecks are occurring, it can be difficult to identify opportunities for improvement. To overcome this challenge, businesses may need to implement systems and processes to track and measure ART, and use this data to identify and address inefficiencies in their support processes.
Lack of standardization
A third challenge that businesses may face when trying to reduce their ART is a lack of standardization in their support processes. If different support agents are using different approaches to resolving customer issues, it can be difficult to optimize resolution times. To overcome this challenge, businesses may need to establish standard procedures and protocols for handling customer issues, and provide training to ensure that all support agents are following these procedures. Businesses may also encounter challenges related to customer expectations when trying to reduce their ART. Customers may have unrealistic expectations about how quickly their issues will be resolved, or may be resistant to changes in the support process that are designed to improve resolution times. To overcome this challenge, businesses may need to communicate clearly with customers about their support policies and procedures, and work to manage customer expectations effectively.
7 sure-shot ways you can improve average resolution time
There are several strategies that businesses can use to improve average resolution time such as:
Invest in the right tools and technology:
By providing support teams with the right tools and technology, businesses can enable them to resolve customer issues more efficiently. This might include customer relationship management (CRM) software, knowledge management systems, or specialized diagnostic tools. Here's how Aptege helps companies reduce resolution times.
Implement a customer self-service portal:
By providing customers with the ability to resolve simple issues on their own, businesses can free up support resources to focus on more complex issues.
Standardize support processes:
By establishing standard procedures and protocols for handling customer issues, businesses can ensure that all support agents are following a consistent approach, which can improve resolution times.
Provide training and development:
By investing in training and development for support staff, businesses can improve their ability to resolve customer issues quickly and effectively.
Monitor and track performance:
By tracking and analyzing key metrics such as ART, businesses can identify areas for improvement and take action to optimize resolution times.
Engage with customers proactively:
By proactively reaching out to customers to address potential issues before they become problems, businesses can prevent issues from escalating and improve resolution times.
Collaborate and communicate effectively:
By fostering a culture of collaboration and effective communication within the support team, businesses can ensure that customer issues are being addressed efficiently and effectively.
How Aptedge helps you reduce average resolution times.
AptEdge is an Enterprise Answer Engine platform that can help businesses reduce average resolution times in a number of ways. For example:
Case reply recommendations:
AptEdge case management features allow businesses to track and manage customer issues from start to finish, providing a clear view of the support process and helping to identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies that can slow resolution times.
Case resolution automation:
AptEdge’s workflow automation allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks and processes needed to complete repetitive internal tasks such as auto updating tickets linked to a bug, freeing up support staff to focus on more complex issues and improving resolution times.
Customer self-service:
AptEdge’s ticket deflection capabilities through automated customer response, case form deflection, and in-product support solution allows customers to access information and resolve simple issues on their own, reducing the burden on support staff and improving resolution times.
Proactive escalation management:
With AptEdge’s ‘Edge’ knowledge orchestration features, businesses can create a centralized repository of information and resources that support agents can use to resolve customer issues more efficiently, manage, and cut escalations.
Predictive Analytics:
AptEdge analytics and reporting features provide businesses with the data they need to track and measure key metrics such as average resolution time, and identify opportunities for improvement.
