Welcome to the Ultimate Guide to Staffing Your Call Center
Running a call center is no easy feat. You need to make sure you have the right number of staff to manage the phones, respond to customer queries, and provide excellent service. But how do you calculate your staffing requirements?
In this article, we’ll provide you with all the information you need to know about staffing your call center. From calculating the right number of staff to addressing common FAQs, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s get started!
Why Is Staffing Your Call Center So Important?
Staffing your call center is essential to deliver a superior customer experience. With customer service being a top priority for businesses, having an understaffed call center can have disastrous consequences. It can lead to long wait times, frustrated customers, and ultimately, lost business.
On the other hand, having too many staff members can burn a hole in your budget. Therefore, it’s critical to have a process in place that helps you calculate the right number of staff for your call center.
How Do You Calculate Staffing Requirements for Your Call Center?
The key to calculating your staffing requirements is to analyze your call center data. By analyzing data like call volume, handling times, and shrinkage, you can determine how many staff members you need at any given time.
1. Determine Your Service Level Objectives
Your service level objectives refer to the percentage of calls that you must answer within a specific timeframe. For example, if your service level objective is to answer 80% of calls within 30 seconds, you’ll need to staff accordingly.
2. Analyze Your Call Volume Data
Your call volume data gives you a good idea of when your peak call periods are. This is important because you need to have enough staff on hand during these times to meet your service level objectives.
3. Calculate Your Average Handling Time
Your average handling time refers to the length of time it takes your agents to handle each call. By calculating this metric, you’ll have a good idea of how many agents you need to handle your call volume.
4. Determine Your Shrinkage
Your shrinkage refers to the non-productive time that your agents spend away from their desks. This can include breaks, meetings, training, and other activities. By factoring in shrinkage, you can determine the number of staff members you need to have available.
5. Use a Staffing Calculator
You can use a staffing calculator to plug in your call center data to determine the right number of staff members you need. There are several free and paid staffing calculators available online that can help you make these calculations.
The Importance of Forecasting in Your Staffing Process
Forecasting involves predicting your call volume and staffing requirements for a specific period. By forecasting your staffing requirements, you can ensure that you have the right number of staff members available at all times.
1. Analyze Historical Data
To forecast your staffing requirements, you need to analyze historical data like call volume, handling times, and shrinkage. This data can help you make accurate predictions about future call volumes.
2. Consider Business Factors
You also need to consider factors that may impact your call center’s call volume, such as holidays, promotions, or new product launches.
3. Use Technology
You can use technology like workforce management software to help you with your forecasting. These tools use historical data and algorithms to predict future call volumes and staffing requirements.
FAQs About Calculating Staffing Requirements for Your Call Center
1. What Is Shrinkage in Call Centers?
Shrinkage in call centers refers to the non-productive time that agents spend away from their desks. This includes activities like breaks, training, meetings, and other activities.
2. What Is a Service Level Objective?
A service level objective (SLO) is the percentage of calls that your call center must answer within a specific timeframe. For example, if your SLO is to answer 80% of calls within 30 seconds, you need to staff accordingly.
3. How Do You Calculate Average Handling Time?
To calculate your average handling time, divide the total handling time for all calls by the number of calls handled. For instance, if your agents handled 100 calls with a total handling time of 1,000 minutes, your average handling time would be 10 minutes per call.
4. How Do You Determine Your Call Volume?
You can determine your call volume by analyzing your historical call center data. This data can give you an idea of when your peak call periods are and how many calls you’re likely to receive during those times.
5. What Is Workforce Management Software?
Workforce management software helps you manage your call center operations by automating tasks like scheduling, forecasting, and real-time monitoring. It can help you optimize your staffing levels and improve your customer service performance.
6. What Is the Ideal Service Level Objective for Call Centers?
The ideal service level objective for call centers depends on your business goals and customer expectations. However, a service level objective of 80% answered within 30 seconds is considered a good benchmark by many call centers.
7. How Often Should You Forecast Your Staffing Requirements?
You should forecast your staffing requirements at least once a week, if not more frequently. This will help you stay on top of changing call volumes and ensure that you have the right number of staff members available at all times.
8. How Do You Factor in Attrition When Calculating Staffing Requirements?
You need to factor in attrition when calculating staffing requirements by including the turnover rate in your shrinkage calculation. This will help you ensure that you have enough staff members available even when turnover occurs.
9. What Are the Consequences of Overstaffing Your Call Center?
Overstaffing your call center can lead to unnecessary expenses and decreased productivity. It can also result in complacency among your agents, which can impact the quality of service they provide.
10. How Can You Monitor Your Call Center Staffing Levels?
You can monitor your call center staffing levels in real-time using workforce management software. These tools provide you with real-time insights into key metrics like call volume, service level, and agent availability.
11. What Are the Benefits of Using Staffing Calculators?
Staffing calculators can help you make accurate staffing decisions based on your call center data. These tools can save you time and money while ensuring that you deliver high-quality customer service.
12. How Do You Balance Cost and Customer Service in Staffing Your Call Center?
To balance cost and customer service in staffing your call center, you need to make data-driven staffing decisions that consider both factors. By analyzing your call center data and using tools like staffing calculators, you can ensure that you have the right number of staff members to meet your service level objectives without overspending.
13. What Are Some Best Practices for Staffing Your Call Center?
Some best practices for staffing your call center include analyzing your call center data regularly, using technology to automate staffing processes, forecasting your staffing requirements, and continuously monitoring your service level performance.
Conclusion: Make Sure You Have the Right Staffing Levels for Your Call Center
Staffing your call center is critical to delivering high-quality customer service. By using the right tools and processes, you can ensure that you have the right number of staff members to meet your service level objectives and keep your customers happy.
Make sure you analyze your call center data regularly, use tools like staffing calculators and workforce management software, and monitor your service level performance in real-time. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your call center is always staffed correctly.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for general educational and informational purposes only. No part of this article is intended to provide business, financial, or legal advice. You should consult with a professional advisor for advice regarding your specific business needs and circumstances.
| Parameter | Formula |
|---|---|
| Service level objective | % of Calls Answered Within X Seconds |
| Average handling time | Total Handling Time / Number of Calls Handled |
| Occupancy rate | Total Talk Time / (Total Logged In Time – Time Reserved for Aux Codes) |
| Agent requirement | (Call volume x AHT x 1.25) / (1 – shrinkage%) |
| Shrinkage | Total Time Paid but Not Available to Handle Calls / Total Logged in Time |
| Utilization rate | Total Talk Time / Total Logged In Time |
| Call volume forecast | Historical call volume data + expected changes in call patterns due to promotions, holidays, etc. |