Northwest Call Center Group Meeting the Workforce Management

Your Seminar Leaders Penny Reynolds is a Founding Partner of The Call Center School

Session Overview In this session, you will : 1. Identify the eight main workforce

Audience Poll Let’s Take a Vote! What are your biggest workforce management challenges? Copyright

WFM Challenges Hiring Freeze Increasing Accessibility Cutting Costs Managing Attendance & Adherence Attracting and

WFM Challenges Challenge: Staff Turnover Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Turnover Challenges § § § First day no-shows Loss during training Competition in local

Calculating Turnover Rate Calculation: Turnover Rate = Number of people that leave Total number

Calculating Turnover Costs Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Reasons They Leave and Stay Why They Leave Why They Stay Motivation/Job fit Compensation

Turnover Solutions 1. Screen for better motivational fit. 2. Paint a clear picture of

WFM Challenges Challenge: Hiring Freeze Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Hiring Freeze Challenges Frequently heard statements: “The whole company is holding the line and

Staffing Freeze? Staffing for a 10% Increase in Calling This Year Calls per hour

The Cost of Understanding A “Hiring Freeze” Example This Year Calls per hour Number

Staffing Tradeoffs The Costs of Understaffing Increased Telecom Costs ________________________ ____________ Copyright 2001 The

Hiring Freeze Solutions § § § Track all costs, not just personnel. Educate senior

WFM Challenges Challenge: Cutting Costs Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Cost Reduction Challenges § § The need for belt-tightening Places to look Dangers of

Cost Cutting Measures Audience Poll How many of you been asked to cut costs

Cost Cutting Measures Traditional Cost-Cutting Strategy: Reduce staff. Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Staffing Example 175 calls per half-hour, 5 minute AHT (280 talk/20 acw) (29. 2

Call Center Staffing Example 175 calls per half-hour, 5 minute AHT (280 talk/20 acw)

Cost Cutting Measures Traditional Cost-Cutting Strategy: § Reduce staff. Better Cost-Cutting Strategies: § Alter

Workload Alterations Workload = # Contacts x Average Handle Time What are some ways

Technology Cost Cutting Measures Making the Most of Contact Center Technologies § ACD §

Process Reengineering Re-think some of your support center processes and look for savings opportunities.

Cost Cutting Solutions § § Re-engineer processes. Educate senior management on trade-offs. Make better

WFM Challenges Challenge: Managing Attendance and Adherence Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Attendance and Adherence Challenges § § § Mondays! Time off (FMLA, Workers Comp) Earned

What Is the Impact of One Agent? 175 calls per half-hour, 5 minute AHT

Attendance and Adherence Solutions § § § Attendance recognition and rewards Magnificent Mondays Staggering

WFM Challenges Challenge: Attracting and Retaining Staff Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Attracting and Retaining Staff Challenges § § § Labor saturation rates Wage competition Aptitudes

Attracting and Retaining Solutions § § § § § Systematic site selection Compensation benchmarking

WFM Challenges Challenge: Increasing Accessibility Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Accessibility Challenges § § Multiple channels Hours of operation Self-service expansion/staff impact Growing expectations

What Happens? When self-service handles more calls, what happens to the calls agents handle?

Accessibility Solutions Outsourcing Multi-channel forecasting and staffing plan Remote workers Revised performance expectations and

WFM Challenges Challenge: Designing Effective Schedules Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Scheduling Challenges § § § Balancing business/human needs Efficiency versus acceptability Long versus short

Scheduling Strategies As you build schedules, try and expand your mix: § Full vs

People Schedule Inflexibility 10 pm 6 am Think of your shifts as LEGO building

People Optimized Schedule 10 pm 6 am The Result: A better fit with less

Staggered Start Times Catalog Case Study Example 60 -Minute Start Times 30 -Minute Start

Scheduling Solutions 1. Implement schedule mix to: 1. Utilize sufficient part-time staff. 2. Expand

WFM Challenges Challenge: Managing Daily Service and Performance Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Daily Management Challenges § § § Managing schedule exceptions Schedule adherence Real-time statistics Service

Tracking Daily Performance Three Components: § AHT § Call Volume § Staff Copyright 2001

Forecast versus Actual What if calls take 30 seconds longer to handle? Time of

Forecast versus Actual What if volume is 10% below forecast? Time of Day Forecast

Analyzing and Reporting Service Level Time of Day Call Volume Daily % SL (in

Reporting Service Level Activity An executive calls and wants to know how service level

Payback Example Real-Time Adherence Monitoring Number of Agents @ $15/hour wage rate @$20/hour wage

Daily Management Solutions § § § Reliable schedule exception process Tracking/reporting of activity categories

WFM Challenges üCutting Costs üHiring Freeze Accessibility üManaging üDesigning Attendance & Adherence üAttracting and

Thank You! Good luck with your workforce management challenges! Leave a business card for

Slides: 57

Download presentation

Your Seminar Leaders Penny Reynolds is a Founding Partner of The Call Center School where she heads up curriculum development. She develops and teaches courses on a wide variety of call center topics, including workforce management, performance measurement, and call center technologies. Penny is a popular speaker at industry conferences and association meetings and a frequent contributor to industry trade publications. Her articles have appeared in print publications such as Customer Interface, Customer Interaction Solutions, and Customer Support Management, and on-line sources such as ICCM Weekly, New Frontiers, Source. CRM, and Workforce Weekly. She has recently published a book entitled Call Center Staffing: The Complete, Practical Guide to Workforce Management and has also coauthored the five textbooks for University of Phoenix’s call center certification program. An honors graduate of Vanderbilt University, Penny was one of the first recipients of Call Center Magazine’s prestigious Call Center Pioneer award. penny. reynolds@thecallcenterschool. com 615 -812 -8410 Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Session Overview In this session, you will : 1. Identify the eight main workforce management challenges associated with today’s call center. 2. Describe the primary issues that complicate the workforce management process. 3. Outline potential solutions and alternatives for addressing some of these challenges and problems. Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

WFM Challenges Hiring Freeze Increasing Accessibility Cutting Costs Managing Attendance & Adherence Attracting and Retaining Staff Designing Effective Schedules Staff Turnover Managing Daily Service Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Reasons They Leave and Stay Why They Leave Why They Stay Motivation/Job fit Compensation Lack of career path Work environment Lack of recognition Motivation/Job fit Empowerment Training Career Path Recognition/Rewards Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Turnover Solutions 1. Screen for better motivational fit. 2. Paint a clear picture of job before hiring. 3. Implement a buddy system. 4. “If you can’t fix it, feature it!” 5. Train supervisors and hold them accountable. 6. Rethink rewards and recognition. 7. Other: ______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Hiring Freeze Challenges Frequently heard statements: “The whole company is holding the line and the call center is no exception. ” “Business is not growing so contacts won’t either. ” Beware the dangers of inadequate staffing! Does it really save money? Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Staffing Freeze? Staffing for a 10% Increase in Calling This Year Calls per hour Number of staff Resulting delay Telephone sec/call Telephone cost/hour 350 33 30 sec 310 sec $109 Next Year (Needed) 385 36 30 sec 310 sec $119 Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

The Cost of Understanding A “Hiring Freeze” Example This Year Calls per hour Number of staff Resulting delay Telephone sec/call Telephone cost/hour 350 33 30 sec 310 sec $109 Next Year (Needed) 385 36 30 sec 310 sec $119 Next Year (No Hiring) 385 33 268 sec 548 sec $211 Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Hiring Freeze Solutions § § § Track all costs, not just personnel. Educate senior management. Implement more self-service options. Perform root cause analysis to reduce calls. Other: _______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Staffing Example 175 calls per half-hour, 5 minute AHT (280 talk/20 acw) (29. 2 erlangs) Number of Staff Average Speed of Answer Service Level (in 30 sec) 30 298 sec 24% 31 107 sec 46% 32 54 sec 62% 33 30 sec 74% 34 18 sec 82% 35 11 sec 88% Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Call Center Staffing Example 175 calls per half-hour, 5 minute AHT (280 talk/20 acw) (29. 2 erlangs) Number of Staff Average Speed of Answer Service Level (in 30 sec) Staff Occupancy 30 298 sec 24% . 97 31 107 sec 46% . 94 32 54 sec 62% . 91 33 30 sec 74% . 88 34 18 sec 82% . 86 35 11 sec 88% . 83 Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Cost Cutting Measures Traditional Cost-Cutting Strategy: § Reduce staff. Better Cost-Cutting Strategies: § Alter workload. § Utilize technology. § Re-engineer processes. Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Process Reengineering Re-think some of your support center processes and look for savings opportunities. § Shrinkage § Scheduling options § Hours of operation § Workload blending Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Attendance and Adherence Challenges § § § Mondays! Time off (FMLA, Workers Comp) Earned vacation days Family friendly policies Management enforcement Other: _______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

What Is the Impact of One Agent? 175 calls per half-hour, 5 minute AHT (280 talk/20 acw) (29. 2 erlangs) Number of Average Speed Service Level Staff of Answer (in 30 sec) Staff Occupancy 30 298 sec 24% . 97 31 107 sec 46% . 94 32 54 sec 62% . 91 33 30 sec 74% . 88 34 18 sec 82% . 86 35 11 sec 88% . 83 Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Attendance and Adherence Solutions § § § Attendance recognition and rewards Magnificent Mondays Staggering earned days off Formal adherence standards and programs HR and staff education Other: _______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Attracting and Retaining Staff Challenges § § § Labor saturation rates Wage competition Aptitudes and attitudes Skilled support staff Generalists versus specialists Other: ____________ _ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Attracting and Retaining Solutions § § § § § Systematic site selection Compensation benchmarking Systematic recruiting and screening Creative labor sources Mandatory retention programs by team Supervisor education Other: _______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

What Happens? When self-service handles more calls, what happens to the calls agents handle? § ______________________ When multi-media requirements increase, what happens to agent skill requirements? § _______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Accessibility Solutions Outsourcing Multi-channel forecasting and staffing plan Remote workers Revised performance expectations and rewards § Other: § § ______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Scheduling Challenges § § § Balancing business/human needs Efficiency versus acceptability Long versus short horizon Skill-based scheduling complexities Multi-channel complexities Other: _______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Scheduling Strategies As you build schedules, try and expand your mix: § Full vs part-time mix § Different shift lengths § Days on/off mix § Staggered start times Flexibility is the key. Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Staggered Start Times Catalog Case Study Example 60 -Minute Start Times 30 -Minute Start Times 15 -Minute Start Times 132 FTE 124 FTE 114 FTE Staggering (!) Results: 8% Headcount Savings over Traditional 30 -Minute Start Times Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Scheduling Solutions 1. Implement schedule mix to: 1. Utilize sufficient part-time staff. 2. Expand shift definitions. 3. Stagger start times. 2. Consider performance-based versus seniority -based schedules. 3. Use simulation for complex scenarios. 4. Other: 5. 6. ______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Forecast versus Actual What if calls take 30 seconds longer to handle? Time of Day Forecast Calls Forecast AHT Forecast Staff Actual Calls Actual AHT New Staff Net Staff 6: 00 280 320 56 280 350 61 -5 6: 30 310 320 62 310 350 68 -6 7: 00 350 320 69 350 76 -7 7: 30 380 320 75 380 350 82 -7 8: 00 420 320 82 420 350 90 -8 8: 30 450 320 88 450 350 96 -8 Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Forecast versus Actual What if volume is 10% below forecast? Time of Day Forecast Calls Forecast AHT Forecast Staff Actual Calls Actual AHT New Staff Net Staff 6: 00 280 320 56 252 320 51 +5 6: 30 310 320 62 279 320 56 +6 7: 00 350 320 69 315 320 63 +6 7: 30 380 320 75 342 320 68 +7 8: 00 420 320 82 378 320 75 +7 8: 30 450 320 88 405 320 80 +8 Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Analyzing and Reporting Service Level Time of Day Call Volume Daily % SL (in 20 sec) 6: 00 – 7: 00 85 4. 5% 100% 7: 00 – 8: 00 90 5. 0% 95% 8: 00 – 9: 00 95 5. 5% 9: 00 – 10: 00 145 8. 0% 90% 10: 00 – 11: 00 185 10. 0% 75% 11: 00 – 12: 00 195 10. 5% 70% 12: 00 – 1: 00 165 9. 0% 80% 1: 00 – 2: 00 185 10. 0% 80% 2: 00 – 3: 00 220 12. 0% 65% 3: 00 – 4: 00 210 11. 0% 70% 4: 00 – 5: 00 145 8. 0% 80% 5: 00 – 6: 00 125 6. 5% 85% Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Reporting Service Level Activity An executive calls and wants to know how service level looked yesterday. Your service level goal is 80% in 20 sec. Questions: Did you meet your goal? Why or why not? What are the possibilities for reporting the numbers? Which method do you think is best? Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Payback Example Real-Time Adherence Monitoring Number of Agents @ $15/hour wage rate @$20/hour wage rate 100 $ 32, 500 $ 43, 333 250 $ 81, 250 $108, 062 500 $162, 500 $ 216, 125 1000 $325, 000 $ 432, 250 Assumption: 5 minutes savings per agent per day Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

Daily Management Solutions § § § Reliable schedule exception process Tracking/reporting of activity categories New service definitions Real-time adherence monitoring Reaction strategies “handbook” Other: ______________________ Copyright 2001 The Call Center School

WFM Challenges üCutting Costs üHiring Freeze Accessibility üManaging üDesigning Attendance & Adherence üAttracting and Retaining Staff üIncreasing Effective Schedules Daily üStaff üManaging Service Turnover Copyright 2001 The Call Center School