The most frequent call center problem managers come across the most is the agent planning. While the most important thing for the customer satisfaction is to make sure that the caller reaches the agent within the shortest time possible, managers are obliged to follow legally-determined reaching times but they have difficulties as they also have to plan the number of call center agents at the same time. It seems like increasing the number of agents at the same time can make things easier, however, this brings along very serious material and non-material loss for the management. The most common method used in making an agent planning is to check the statistical reports and averages of the incoming calls according to time periods and days and to calculate how many agents should work based on time periods. But no matter how detailed their reports are, the plans that you will do based on these reports cannot always lead you to the right result. A campaign or a media news can suddenly increase the traffic at a call center. Although it seems easier to plan the increased traffic in campaign-based applications, it is often impossible to estimate the traffic increased due to other reasons. If you wonder what kind of problems would occur if you employ extra backup agents in traffic planning that will be made according to the estimates, we can explain it with some examples. If the number of your agents are above the number of simultaneously incoming calls, the agents will start to have free times. Just imagine an agent in front of his/her service screen with headphones in his/her ears has nothing to do for 10 minutes, what do you think he/she will do? He/she will either try to chat with friends or play games on his/her computer or take a nap. In any case, a service quality problem will occur for the next customer. We, of course, don’t want employees to work as if they are robots, however, many companies have their pre-defined break times. These defined break times also arise as a result of traffic plannings.Managers also have to plan the break times according to incoming call traffic. In addition to the factors mentioned above, the extra backup agents would increase the cost while also reducing the productivity. Many companies started to see call centers as profit centers rather than cost centers. Extra backup agents both ruin the productive working style and reduce the individual productivity. Due to all of these reasons, it is very hard for the call center managers to prepare the work plans – something that seems very easy to prepare. You can liken it to the planning of the number of cashiers at a retail store.
This article was taken from the websitehttp://tayfun-turkalp.blogspot.com.tr/2013/07/cagr-merkezi-yoneticilerinin-basn.html .