Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
911 Dispatch Centers Struggle with Chronic Understaffing
In the New Year, we make a lot of resolutions. We’re going to eat better and exercise more. We’re going to swear less and read more books. We’re going to run the contact center more efficiently so we can keep the headcounts down. Most of these resolutions never come to pass, and in the case of keeping headcounts low in the call center, they can actually harm operations and – in the case of emergency dispatch – risk lives.
The Reasons for Understaffing
Many emergency dispatch centers tend to be chronically understaffed. In some cases, it’s because of limited pools of applicants. In other cases, it’s in misguided efforts to save money, or because it’s difficult to find people willing to take on such a high-stress job for relatively low pay. But it’s an increasing problem, according to Paul Davidson writing for USA Today.
“When Americans dial 911 in an emergency, they expect a fast response and a reassuring voice at the other end of the line,” he wrote. “But 911 centers across the country are struggling to hire enough operators, slowing the time it takes to answer calls. On rare occasions, the delays have led to injury and even death.”
Just before the holidays, Idaho’s Whitcom Regional Dispatch Center reported critical 911 staffing shortages that may cause the emergency services center to cut back on services, a prospect that most citizens would find alarming.
“Whitcom is operating with six unfilled dispatcher positions,” according to the Lewiston Tribune. “At full staff, the center has 22 people covering the round-the-clock shifts.”
Understaffing Is a Chronic Issue
While your contact center’s understaffing issue may not be threatening anyone’s life or health, chronic understaffing is a problem in many commercial and non-profit call centers. While many C-level executives may believe a bit of understaffing is OK now and then to cut costs, in reality, understaffing can cost money through lower service levels and revenues, as well as missed opportunities when callers abandon calls. Understaffing can also negatively affect a customer’s perception of the company, leading to a loss of future revenue.
Call Center Scheduling Solutions Help Avoid Understaffing
By choosing a good call center scheduling platform, you can keep your call center running efficiently, keep service levels increasing, and help your customer base and revenues to grow. Solutions such as Verint Monet Software’s workforce management provide accurate call center forecasting and scheduling so you can optimize operations in the contact center to ensure the right level of coverage at all times.
Edited by Maurice Nagle