Thanks to The Great Resignation, many contact centers are currently short-staffed. Therefore, occupancy rates are rising, and agents are working harder than ever before. Consequently, more employees choose to move on, and the strain on those that stay tightens.
Some contact centers have tried to implement call-backs and combat this problematic pattern. However, these only prove effective when call volumes are spikey. When they sustain, queues get longer as agents must take another step and contact the customer themselves.
Other contact centers have rushed to introduce digital channels where agents can handle contacts concurrently. Yet, again, such a tactic often backfires as introducing a new engagement channel encourages more customers to reach out, who perhaps would have not previously.
Of course, both call-backs and new channels do have the potential to improve CX. Unfortunately, they deepen the pressure on the contact center. There are many better ways to ease the strain on agents through lowering contact volumes, maximizing agent performance, and enhancing intraday processes. For example:
To lower contact volumes, contact centers can:
- Pinpoint their top contact drivers and remove the pain points that generate the contact
- Strive for first contact resolution (FCR) and eliminate causes for repeat contacts
- Create how-to videos, so customers solve problems themselves
To maximize agent performance, contact centers can:
- Unify the agent desktop, improving navigation and making it easier to find helpful information
- Automate manual processes, such as copying and pasting, launching applications, and ticket tagging
- Create simple pathways to subject matter experts (SMEs), so agents can access real-time support
To enhance intraday processes, contact centers can:
- Create a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for when contact volumes skyrocket, so everyone sings from the same hymn sheet
- Multi-skill agents and adjust the contact center routing strategy to address high volumes on a particular channel
- Build a real-time dashboard, which highlights changing contact drivers. Such a tool enables leaders to underline and address the source of the issue
Improving forecasting is another critical consideration for managing headcount. Forecast too few contacts, and pressure on agents increases. Forecast too many, and the contact center risks wasting their most valuable resource.
The most significant step forward a business can make to improve forecasts is to invest in workforce management (WFM) software. For instance, the technology enables contact centers to:
- Quickly run headcount simulations for accurate estimations
- Experiment with hundreds of algorithms to find the best forecasting model for their environment
- Run automatic “re-forecasts” based on the latest available data
However, if WFM software is too expensive, there are still steps that contact centers can take to improve forecasting. These include forecasting down to 15-minute intervals, assessing outliers in historical contact volumes, and improving data quality.
By taking these proactive steps, lowering contact volumes, maximizing agent performance, and improving intraday processes, managing headcount in the contact center becomes much more straightforward.
Find out if your contact center can afford the WFM software to better manage headcount by reading our article: Calculating the ROI of WFM in a Remote World.
