Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
How to Improve Your Call Center Scheduling
Call center scheduling is a complicated endeavor. It requires the consideration of a lot of different inputs. And those factors sometimes change unexpectedly, so things are always fluid.
For example, sometimes a call center agent will call in sick. Or call center volume will be higher than expected, and you’ll need to bring in additional help.
But even when these scenarios don’t play out, simply managing the schedules of multiple agents and managers, handling their various time off requests, and meeting expected call traffic pattern changes based on past experience is a big job.
Getting it right is not simply a matter a convenience for your organization, Shiftboard Inc. explains. It can mean the difference between good and bad customer experience, a profitable shift, and whether or not you can retain top call center talent. And all that can affect your bottom line.
Shiftboard notes that understaffing can cost your business in the form of long wait times and poor service. Poor service can impact future revenue if enough negative customer experiences damage your reputation. And, Shiftboard says, just one hour of overtime can mean the difference between profit and loss for an entire shift.
The company also offers some call center scheduling best practices. That includes recording expenses tied to churn and overtime to determine how to simplify scheduling. It suggests you document scheduling processes so you can understand the tasks required and consider what parts can be automated. And it talks about the need to communicate and get input from the team.
“Once you have a deeper understanding of the demands of your organization, you can assess what you need in a scheduling solution,” Shiftboard says. “Does the solution address your needs? What is the financial value of paying for scheduling software? How quickly can you get up and running with a new scheduling solution? The list goes on, and there are countless options out there for tackling scheduling challenges. That’s why it’s important that you find a solution that can adapt to the specifics of your operation.”
Edited by Mandi Nowitz