Depending on your sector, seasonal fluctuations can pose significant challenges for contact centers. Contact rates for online store providers and their logistics partners tend, for instance, to rise considerably in the run-up to Christmas. For 50% of those surveyed in the latest investment study by the Contact Center Network, seasonal fluctuations are a major issue*. The following measures can assist with short-term surges in service requests.
Professional forecasting for Call Centers
Reliable forecasting of expected contact figures plays a crucial role in a contact center. Workforce management systems like injixo WFM from company InVision AG can help with planning. Factors that can be predicted in the long term, such as vacations, public holidays and seasonal breaks, as well as short-term influences like the weather, are included in the forecast.
Fluctuations in Staffing Requirements
Externel recruitment
Companies can temporarily hire staff in response to fluctuations in personnel requirements. Capacity can also be expanded via service providers, although this often proves difficult due to the initial period of familiarization.
Internal resources
Employees from other organizational units can be brought in to answer inquiries alongside actual call center staff for a certain length of time. This however assumes that staff are available and that they, and the technical infrastructure of the company, will be flexible enough to adapt. The additional team members in the contact center will also be taken away from their actual work, which can lead to bottlenecks in other areas of the business.
Innovative technology usage
Innovative “waiting services” like that of virtualQ can be integrated in the company’s technical infrastructure. The intelligent hold system software maintains the caller’s position in line and automatically informs them when it is time to call back.Using innovative technologies like virtualQ, contact volume fluctuations can be absorbed by existing staff, removing the need to plan or procure additional resources. What is more, customer satisfaction remains consistently high even during peak times.
*source: Investitionsstudie 2016 Call Center Network
