Article: Get A Jump On Vacation Scheduling

By Bob Webb, VP Sales, Pipkins, Inc.

With summer holidays right around the corner, how can call centers be prepared for last minute changes that occur with agent scheduling? This is a problem that all centers face. It can be especially challenging for those without an automated solution for agent scheduling. Typically, last-minute staffing problems require call center supervisors to manually create, print and distribute new intra-day schedules, talk to agents individually to solicit overtime hours, and so on. This is inefficient, less accurate than electronic rescheduling, and causes unnecessary delays that can leave the center temporarily understaffed and negatively affect the service level for the day.

The ramifications of inefficient scheduling can be significant. If staffing is just 2% below where it should be, for example, the percentage of calls answered within 30 seconds or any other established performance objective typically will drop by 10%. If 10% of the seats that should be filled are empty, fully half of the center's incoming calls will likely not be answered in the desired time interval. To make matters worse, understaffing at some points of the year will undoubtedly cause overstaffing at others, leading to wasted labor expense.

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