Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
Strong Call Center Scheduling Starts with Smart Hiring
Call center scheduling is an up and down battle – literally. From fighting the high call volumes of peak times, to making sure to not over staff during down periods, the struggle is real. Throw in the need to ensure all the omnichannel bases are covered. Call center scheduling practices are critical to customer service efforts; here are a few ways to aid in maximum performance.
Effective scheduling practices start with interviewing new candidates. Make expectations crystal clear – this includes available shifts, number of hours per week to general requirements of the position. If they know what the company requires from them, they can better understand where they fit in operations. By making smart hires, contact centers save the time and money invested in hiring and onboarding, and customer service levels improve.
Another means of enhancing your call center scheduling practices is leveraging remote agents. With the proper tools and technology in place, companies can take advantage of more flexible scheduling, improved staffing levels, save on spend – i.e. no need for a cubicle and its accoutrements.
Addressing downtime is paramount in improving contact center performance. Plain and simple, time spent twiddling thumbs is time spent not working. Whether there are training modules, administrative tasks or other duties that could be done, it is crucial to keep agents engaged, busy and pushing the company vision forward.
These are just a few ways to enhance your scheduling practice. It’s important to build a strong foundation of tools for call center management to better forecast staffing needs and aid agents in daily duties, so do your due diligence and choose wisely. You can thank me later.
How does your call center address scheduling?
Edited by Maurice Nagle