Understanding the Causes of Fluctuations
Every call center will deal with fluctuations in the call volume, not only within the same day but also from season to season. A business might experience peaks during summer months, near holidays, or during enrollment periods. Others receive more volume in a single quarter than throughout the entire year. And some deal with surges caused by natural disasters, new product releases, and other reasons that cause long wait times and delays in delivery. Regardless of the type of service you provide, your leadership must learn how to navigate the peaks and valleys of call center seasonality.
How your team handles these fluctuations can make or break the entire business. Managing your call volume to hit the necessary KPIs is a delicate balance. If you pull the wrong lever, it all can spiral out of control. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand each factor that impacts service levels, speed of answer, handle time, abandon rates, and the overall quality of each interaction.
Implementing WFM Strategies for Navigating the Peaks and Valleys
To achieve your customer service and performance goals, your WFM team must learn how to manage these fluctuations to ensure that you properly staff your call center. This all starts with accurate forecasting. To gain a clear picture of your business’ labor requirements, your team will need in-depth knowledge concerning the number of calls, emails, chats, and other transactions that the call center must process to meet the KPIs as well as the right tools to complete the task.
Once the patterns of peaks and valleys emerge, your WFM team can schedule your agents and activities around them. With an accurate forecast, you can schedule, hire, train, and staff around the peaks to ensure you have enough agents to handle the increased call volume. During slower periods, your call center will have more availability for personal development, special projects, marketing and business activities, and vacation time. However, it requires experience and a keen eye to maneuver through the ebbs and flows of the call volume.
Expert Consultants to Help Navigate Through Call Center Seasonality
There are numerous approaches to forecasting and staffing your call center through seasonal fluctuations. Not every approach solves all your issues or works for every situation. The right solution may combine strategies to get the results you need.
However, determining the right approach for you requires an intimate understanding of Workforce Management strategies and how each factor impacts the overall performance of the call center. The expert consultants at P3 can help you customize your WFM strategies to successfully manage both expected and unexpected peaks in call volume. If you are struggling to meet your KPIs or staff your call center, let our consultants put their skills and expertise to work for you. We can ensure that your agents are meeting your business needs and providing the best customer experience possible.