Core metrics

What is resolution rate?

Also known as: AI resolution rate, automation resolution rate, resolve rate, ticket resolution rate, issue resolution rate

Published September 10, 2026 · Last updated October 8, 2026 · Reviewed by the Fidiora team

Definition

Resolution rate is the percentage of customer contacts that end with the issue genuinely solved, calculated as resolved contacts divided by total contacts, times 100. In AI support it usually means the share resolved with no human involvement. The number is only meaningful alongside the definition of resolved used to calculate it.

Why it matters

Resolution rate is the headline number in every AI support sales conversation and the number most vulnerable to definitional games. A vendor counting abandonment as resolution can quote a rate double that of an honest vendor while delivering worse outcomes. Always ask for the denominator and the exclusions.

What to know

  • Ask three questions: does abandonment count, do handoffs count, and does a reopen retract the resolution?
  • Rates vary enormously by issue mix, so a benchmark from another company tells you almost nothing.
  • Pair it with reopen rate. A high resolution rate with rising reopens is a measurement artefact.
  • A rate that jumps after a configuration change is usually a definition change in disguise.
  • Segment by topic. The aggregate hides that you resolve ninety percent of one topic and ten percent of another.
  • Worked example: 2,000 contacts in a month, of which 1,300 were resolved with no repeat contact inside fourteen days. Resolution rate is 1,300 / 2,000 x 100 = 65 percent.

How to calculate it

Resolution rate = (contacts genuinely resolved / total contacts) x 100

An example

Example: two vendors both quote seventy percent. One counts any conversation the customer did not escalate. The other counts only conversations with a confirmed answer and no repeat contact in fourteen days. These are not the same product.

How the definition changes the resolution rate

The same illustrative month of 2,000 AI conversations, counted three ways.
Definition of resolvedCounted as resolvedResolution rate
Any conversation not handed to a human, including abandoned ones 1,60080 percent
Customer confirmed the answer, abandoned chats excluded 1,40070 percent
Confirmed answer and no repeat contact within 14 days 1,30065 percent

Common mistakes

  • Comparing vendor resolution rates without comparing definitions
  • Reporting resolution rate without reopen rate
  • Using one aggregate rate across incomparable topics
  • Accepting a self-reported rate with no audit path
Where Fidiora fits

Fidiora publishes its resolution definition in full and bills on it, which is the strongest possible commitment to not inflating the number. Handoffs, abandonment, and timeouts are excluded, so the rate and the invoice describe the same thing.

See Pricing
FAQ

Questions

What does resolution rate mean?
Resolution rate means the percentage of customer contacts that ended with the issue genuinely solved. In AI support it usually refers to the share resolved by the AI with no human involved. The meaning depends on the definition of resolved, so always check whether abandoned or handed-off conversations are counted.
How do you calculate resolution rate?
Divide the number of genuinely resolved contacts by total contacts in the same period and multiply by 100. For example, 1,300 resolved out of 2,000 contacts is a 65 percent resolution rate. Decide in advance what counts as resolved, typically no repeat contact on the same issue within seven to fourteen days.
Is resolve rate the same as resolution rate?
Yes. Resolve rate is an informal name for the same metric: the share of contacts or tickets that were resolved. Some tools use resolve rate for tickets closed by agents, which is looser, so check whether closed and resolved mean the same thing in your own reporting before comparing figures.
What is a good AI resolution rate?
It depends entirely on how much of your volume is repetitive and well documented, and on how the vendor defines resolution. Rather than chasing a percentage, measure the rate on your own top ten topics and watch reopens alongside it.
How do I verify a vendor resolution rate?
Run a pilot on your own traffic, define resolution yourself before you start, and measure repeat contacts over the following two weeks. A vendor unwilling to be measured that way is telling you something.
Why is resolution rate different from deflection rate?
Deflection counts tickets that were never created, including from customers who gave up. Resolution counts issues that were actually solved. One measures absence, the other measures outcome.

Related terms

Resolution A resolution in customer support is a request that ends with the customer having a correct, complete answer and no need ... Reopen rate Reopen rate is the share of tickets marked resolved that are subsequently reopened, either by the customer replying or b... Ticket deflection Ticket deflection is any action that prevents a customer request from becoming a human-handled ticket. It counts help ce... Containment rate Containment rate is the percentage of calls or chats handled entirely by self-service, such as an IVR phone menu, a chat...
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