Call Center Management Featured Article
Real-Time Adherence Vital in Call Center Management
Call center management is a complicated approach to facilitating healthy interactions between customers and companies. To accomplish this delicate dance, call center managers must be able keep call center agents on task and working toward performance goals. In this recent Money Software blog, the concept of real-time adherence was explored and why it is important in overall call center management.
In the most basic of terms, real-time adherence compares the planned activity levels of agents to actual activity levels throughout the day. It also provides a real-time view of forecasted and actual call volumes, handle times and other key performance indicators.
Managers and supervisors responsible for call center management can use real-time adherence to compare agents’ actual activities against their schedules, and review a breakdown of adherence by activity to then manage the exceptions. Managers can also use this portal to see when agents are available for calls and when they take their lunches and breaks as per predetermined schedules.
While it may at first seem obvious why real-time adherence is important, there are some in call center management who would prefer to not have to change the way they are doing things. Some proven methods may work simply because the call center has always done them a certain way – but do they allow all players to reach their full potential in the process?
Real-time adherence is important because of the key component of shrinkage. This is the time for which agents are paid when they are not available to handle calls. Shrinkage has the ability to dramatically affect the call center’s capacity to meet specific service levels. With real-time adherence, the call center gains the capabilities and tools necessary to manage and reduce shrinkage.
For optimal call center management, real-time adherence allows supervisors to monitor agents in real-time and receive instant alerts for out-of-adherence states. It also enables managers to see agent exceptions in real-time and approve or deny them right away. Monitoring and analyzing key performance indicators and trends to reforecast, reschedule and adjust staffing are also important elements within real-time adherence.
Finally, call center managers can also rely on real-time adherence to track and compare forecasted and actual center statistics, as well as schedule overtime or time off during high and low call volume situations. And, to help the call center to improve performance, real-time adherence can also be used to evaluate adherence and take the necessary actions.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Chris DiMarco