First Contact Resolution Benchmarks (2026)
Converge Team
The global average first contact resolution is 72%. Good teams target Above 78%, and excellent teams achieve Above 85%. These benchmarks are compiled from Industry composite aggregated from MetricNet, HDI, and LiveChatAI benchmarks (2025) and other publicly available industry reports.
What Is First Contact Resolution?
The percentage of customer issues resolved in a single interaction without follow-up. Higher FCR directly correlates with higher CSAT and lower costs.
First Contact Resolution by Industry
First Contact Resolution varies significantly by industry. Industries with simpler, higher-volume queries (e-commerce, restaurants) tend to have better numbers than those with complex, compliance-heavy interactions (healthcare, fintech).
| Industry | Average | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| SaaS | 68% | 73% | 80% |
| E-commerce | 80% | 85% | 92% |
| Fintech | 65% | 70% | 77% |
| Healthcare | 60% | 65% | 72% |
| Agencies | 72% | 77% | 84% |
| Fashion | 82% | 87% | 94% |
| Beauty & Cosmetics | 84% | 89% | 96% |
| Gaming | 70% | 75% | 82% |
| Crypto & Web3 | 62% | 67% | 74% |
| Travel & Tourism | 66% | 71% | 78% |
| Hospitality | 78% | 83% | 90% |
| Restaurants | 85% | 90% | 97% |
| Hotels | 76% | 81% | 88% |
| Real Estate | 55% | 60% | 67% |
| Education | 70% | 75% | 82% |
First Contact Resolution by Channel
Channel choice has a major impact on first contact resolution. Messaging channels (chat, WhatsApp) consistently outperform email and social media.
| Channel | Average |
|---|---|
| Live Chat | 76% |
| 78% | |
| 65% | |
| Social Media | 60% |
| Phone | 74% |
First Contact Resolution by Company Size
Larger teams don't always mean better metrics. Company size affects first contact resolution through staffing, tooling, and process maturity.
| Company Size | Average |
|---|---|
| Small (1-10 agents) | 75% |
| Medium (11-50 agents) | 72% |
| Enterprise (50+ agents) | 68% |
Year-over-Year Trends
First Contact Resolution has been improving steadily as teams adopt AI, automation, and messaging-first strategies.
| Year | Average | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 70% | Limited knowledge base adoption |
| 2025 | 72% | AI suggestions helping agents resolve faster |
| 2026 | 74% | Better self-service deflecting easy issues, raising FCR bar |
How to Improve Your First Contact Resolution
Empower agents with full customer context (order history, previous conversations, notes) in one view
Build a comprehensive internal knowledge base so agents find answers without escalating
Use quick replies with variables for common resolution patterns
Route technical issues directly to specialized agents instead of general queue
Track which issue types have lowest FCR and create dedicated resolution playbooks
Sources: Industry composite aggregated from MetricNet, HDI, and LiveChatAI benchmarks (2025). Benchmarks are compiled from publicly available industry reports and may vary significantly by company size, geography, support methodology, and channel mix. These figures represent approximate cross-industry averages and should be used as directional guidance, not precise targets.
Frequently Asked Questions
The global average first contact resolution is 72%. A good target is Above 78%, and excellent teams achieve Above 85%. These vary significantly by industry and channel.
First Contact Resolution varies widely. SaaS averages 68%, E-commerce averages 80%, Fintech averages 65%. See the full industry breakdown table above.
Live Chat typically has the best first contact resolution at 76%. Phone tends to be slower at 74%.
Key strategies: Empower agents with full customer context (order history, previous conversations, notes) in one view. Build a comprehensive internal knowledge base so agents find answers without escalating. See our detailed improvement tips section above for all 5 strategies.
In 2024: 70% (Limited knowledge base adoption). In 2025: 72% (AI suggestions helping agents resolve faster). In 2026: 74% (Better self-service deflecting easy issues, raising FCR bar). The trend is driven by automation, AI adoption, and messaging-first strategies.
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