How to Optimize Call Center Scheduling

In order to run a successful contact center operation, agents need to adhere to their schedules. However, this is less likely to happen if agents aren’t happy with their schedules, which tends to occur more often than it should. Agents are at the heart of the call center, and scheduling them effectively is what keeps operations going. Here are a few tips on how to optimize agent scheduling.

Hire agents that don’t mind odd hour shifts. Contact centers that are open 24/7 have higher success rates than those that only operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Since those are normal workday hours, most people have a difficult time calling into a contact center when they have a problem. That’s why 24/7 contact centers have become more popular, however, staffing them can be problematic because most people don’t want to work odd hours. By making the hours clear during the interview, managers can ensure that they’re hiring agents who don’t mind working in the early morning or late evening. That way, managers can avoid scheduling complaints by allowing everyone to work when they want.

Allow high performers to pick their hours. There’s nothing like a little bit of healthy competition to keep everyone motivated. Some contact centers use this to their advantage by implementing gamification into the workday. As a prize for whichever agent or team wins at the end of the month, they can pick their own working hours. This not only motivates all agents to try their best every day, but rewards hard workers in the process.

Stagger breaks. By staggering breaks, managers can ensure that most of the staff is always on the floor. By scheduling in break time, managers can control how many agents are off the floor at any given time. This prevents too many people from disappearing during peak call times, like around noon.