Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
Tips for Scheduling your Call Center Staff
Managing a call center properly can be tough, and the meshing complexities of staff scheduling and technical understanding can quickly overwhelm professionals new to the space. But fear not! Monet Software, a leading workforce management software provider, has outlined some tips that make scheduling a call center workforce a less daunting task.
The first suggestion Monet makes is to find schedules that work for your staff. Each agent in your call center has a unique set of scheduling needs. Ignoring these when creating shifts can force workers into situations that may not be ideal, and can ultimately lead to increased turnover. Allowing agents to trade, or bid, for especially attractive hours can also liven up the scheduling process and spur a competitive spirit amongst the team.
Letting agents come in later (an hour or two) or work longer hours on certain days (based on the needs of the call center and based on their personal needs) can also help to switch up the monotony associated with a standard schedule. Special considerations need to be made to ensure that these flexible schedules are accurately tracked, but it can result in a refreshing experience for agents and serve to help them deal with any personal engagements they may have throughout the week.
In addition to working alongside your staff to produce schedules, employing tools that give you a better understanding of volume fluctuations can help you make critical staffing decisions. Workforce management solutions like those by Monet software organize multiple channels of information and provide managers with the intelligence about any volume peaks in the near future.
Taking the needs of your staff into account is vital to the success of your call center. By taking staff needs into consideration when making schedules, you’ll promote loyalty and foster an open working environment. Throw some forecasting capability on top, and you and your team will be read for anything.
Chris DiMarco is a Managing Editor for TMCnet. He holds a master's degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University. Prior to joining TMC (News - Alert) Chris worked with e-commerce provider Suresource as a contact center representative and development analyst. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page. Follow him on Twitter (News - Alert) @cpdimarco.
Edited by Tammy Wolf