Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
February 26, 2009
Automated Call Center Scheduling Streamlines Customer Service
It is somewhat of an understatement to say that call center managers have a difficult job. Not only do they have the responsibility of ensuring an optimal experience for all customers involved in interactions with the call center, they must also effectively manage a variety of people with different skills, educations, work preferences and availability.
The task of properly scheduling for the call center has grown into a complicated dance of finding the right balance between forecasted volumes, available agents with specific skills, customer location and preferable contact method and so much more. Without the ability to identify these things and account for them in scheduling, call center managers may never achieve ultimate efficiency.
No two call centers are exactly alike. One center may cater specifically to customers in the UK and therefore they must be fully staffed during the heavier contact hours for those customers. Another center may cater specifically to customers in Canada, but their typical customer prefers to interact with the center via e-mail while on the go instead of making a call.
The task of properly scheduling for the call center has grown into a complicated dance of finding the right balance between forecasted volumes, available agents with specific skills, customer location and preferable contact method and so much more. Without the ability to identify these things and account for them in scheduling, call center managers may never achieve ultimate efficiency.
No two call centers are exactly alike. One center may cater specifically to customers in the UK and therefore they must be fully staffed during the heavier contact hours for those customers. Another center may cater specifically to customers in Canada, but their typical customer prefers to interact with the center via e-mail while on the go instead of making a call.
The call center manager must be able to effectively schedule for customer preferences and anticipated volume. In the examples given above, each represented a separate center with defined customers. Consider instead that these examples were really describing the same center with two different campaigns going on – which is not uncommon in the industry. Imagine the scheduling headache for the call center manager.
Fortunately, there is technology available today to assist the call center manager in scheduling for all forecasts and campaigns. By automating the scheduling process, not only does the call center manager streamline his or her activities, it also allows agents to take an active participation in their scheduling. At the same time, managers are able to focus on managing the activities of the center.
Monet Software is one company that offers call center scheduling solutions that allow call center managers to account for all activities within the center that have an impact on scheduling. For instance, the solution will take into account training and coaching times, lunch breaks, vacation and day-off requests, scheduling preferences and skill-sets of agents.
Call center managers juggle a variety of variables when trying to schedule for the call center and mismanaging those variables can lead to an overstaffed or understaffed call center that does not run efficiently and generates a negative vibe. Such an environment can lead to degradation in service and increased employee turnover.
Automating the call center scheduling process with help from Monet Software allows the call center manager to focus on the customer experience, trusting that the scheduling is being handled by an expert.
Call center managers juggle a variety of variables when trying to schedule for the call center and mismanaging those variables can lead to an overstaffed or understaffed call center that does not run efficiently and generates a negative vibe. Such an environment can lead to degradation in service and increased employee turnover.
Automating the call center scheduling process with help from Monet Software allows the call center manager to focus on the customer experience, trusting that the scheduling is being handled by an expert.
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 Michelle Robart