INBOUND CALL CENTER 

Inbound Call Center Service-Workforce Management & Planning

One of the most important aspects to consider in relation to optimal call center working is the proper planning of the workforce and its management. Reps should always be there to handle the phone calls that come in and give prompt responses. Inbound call center service cannot afford to ignore incoming calls and this requires the presence of right strategies that work. Here are some of the steps in the management and planning process.

Gathering & Analysis of Historical Data

Gathering data from what have gone by until now is the best method to determine future changes in inbound call center service. So where will you find this historical data for analysis? One of the best sources is the reports generated from your Automatic Call Distributor (ACD). It is important to use, accurate sources for gathering of representative samples.

Workload Forecast

The next stage involves translation of raw data to predictions with several approaches to reaching the same. One way is to point estimate, which is the simplest method, assuming that a future point will match its corresponding one in the past. However this does not account for down or up trends so fall flat on most counts. Other methods are analysis of time series and averaging approach.

Calculation of Staff Requirements

After the forecast happens, it is time to calculate the staff requirements and meet specific service goals. Workload calculations occur through multiplication of forecasted call numbers with call average handling time (AHT). Since, this workload number it is possible to determine the number of base staffers for call handling. One of the interesting things about staffing for call centers is that here the workload doesn’t mean a typical pattern of work.

Staff Scheduling

After an understanding of factors that determine the number of staffers required for call handling it is time to figure out a proper schedule. This will ensure the presence of the required people at the exact place you want them to be. Off-the-phone work will take away the reps from their seats and this need to be considered during staff scheduling.

Management of Daily Service & Staffing

Simply having a schedule in place is not enough, it is important to manage it on a regular basis with the required adjustments wherever needed. First, is the determination of call forecast helping you to calculate the number of reps required to meet the goals of speed of answering. Juggle schedules as needed to ensure the right mix of acceptability and efficiency in your inbound call center service.

Workforce management and planning is both science and an art because it requires future predictions. Staffing plan accuracy in inbound call center service is some part experience and some part judgment. Workforce management involves systematic mathematical processes using historical data for prediction of future events. So, managers should have a working knowledge of these statistical specialized techniques.