Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
Greater Flexibility Can Lead to Better Call Center Outcomes
When people are under pressure to meet strict performance metrics, they tend to default to existing practices that require the least possible extra effort.
That’s often the case in call center environments. And that’s too bad because thinking – and doing things – outside the box can go a long way toward making better use of contact center resources. Particularly human resources.
For example, call center managers often rely exclusively on full time staff members who they tend to schedule to work shifts that start and end at the same time, every time. However, bringing some part-time workers into the mix who are more open to working variable hours and shifts may help call centers more easily address changing requirements.
Being more flexible in how shifts are scheduled, such as staggering start times at 15-minute intervals, can also allow call centers to make the most of their budgets. Scheduling for breaks, lunch, meetings, and training and coaching in 15-minute blocks (or combinations of 15-minute blocks) may also be helpful.
Forecasting software can go a long way in knowing what to expect when it comes to call center and contact center demand. And scheduling solutions can make implementing that knowledge easier. Advanced workforce management systems that do scheduling can also support this kind of greater flexibility.
But it’s up to the individual organization to actually create the culture and provide contact center managers with the ability to experiment in this way.
Leveraging a combination of proven practices, such as setting and enforcing specific adherence expectations; advanced workforce management and optimization solutions, which make forecasting and scheduling easier and more efficient; and flexible approaches to make the best use of resources and drive better business, customer, employee outcomes, is often the best combination.
Edited by Maurice Nagle