Knowing how many agents to have available to help at any given time is a marriage of art and science. Here are four proven ways to master that marriage called workforce management.
Customers may not care much about your workforce management (WFM), but when they get the help they need quickly they appreciate it. It shows in customer satisfaction scores.
That’s why some contact centers have worked tirelessly to master workforce management, according to contact center expert Greg Levin. Here’s what they have in common — and what you can do to match their success:
- A dedicated workforce management specialist. Rather than make scheduling part of one manager’s job, the best in class make it someone’s sole job. With the complexities of WFM (software, scientific methods and personal factors), plus the impact a properly staffed center has on customer satisfaction, it makes sense to keep one person focused on having the right number of people available to help.
- A small forecast window. Rather than schedule based on daily contact volume, the best WFM specialists look at hour or half-hour intervals to make sure no customers wait too long or fall through the cracks.
- An outside-the-call approach. When scheduling, the best contact centers consider post-call work, breaks and follow up. For instance, if they know 40 agents are needed to help customers at a given time, they must schedule more because many will not actually be available to take calls and email.
- An evolving plan. The best WFM specialists consider all channels of customer contact. As the popularity of chat and text increase, they’ve factored those channels into their scheduling mix. Plus, they regularly review where most of the customer demand is and schedule accordingly.
