By Marcia Jenkins, Senior Operations Manager
There are lots of ways to measure your call center staff utilization. We all want our agents busy, but not too busy, right? Before we dive into what we’ve found is best, let’s talk about what staff utilization means and why it’s an important KPI.
What is staff utilization & why it’s important
Staff utilization, also referred to as agent utilization is simply the percentage of time an agent is spent handling customer interactions. But, why is this important? Because it provides real visibility into how your staff is spending their respective time. It helps determine how your agents are operating, allowing management to make better informed decisions. If an agent’s utilization is at 95% while another is at 30%, that’s out of alignment.
We’ve all seen it…call after call with little to no breaks can quickly turn into agent burnout. This is why Quality Contact Solutions has an internal goal of 60 percent. This is where we’ve found the sweet spot to be.
Staff utilization is not just calling, is it?
Having the optimum staff utilization ratios provides opportunity for agents to do other tasks while volume is low. Consider how this applies to your specific company. What else can agents work on while volume is low? Are there customer emails, chats and or texts that can be handled?
Efficiencies
Does the technology your using today to make outbound calls or take inbound calls have the capacity to blend agents? Meaning, if inbound volume is low and chats and emails are up to date, can the agents be utilized on outbound dialing? Talk about maximizing your ROI?!?!
Read this article from IMCI to learn more about additional contact center productivity metrics.
A call center with the right expertise for your inbound calls will drastically impact your business.
Quality Contact Solutions has the best team around and that team extends to our owner-operated call centers. We know what to look for and how to meet your contact management services goals. If you’re looking for a team that has the ability to work collaboratively, celebrate personal bests and provide a great experience for your customers, we’re the team for you.
Have questions or want to chat? Reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you.
Marcia Jenkins is the Senior Operations Manager for Quality Contact Solutions. Prior to joining Quality Contact Solutions, Marcia was a sought- after 10-year call center veteran with the ability to manage and sell. Marcia is responsible for the day to day operations for the At Home Division. QCS At Home is a work-from-home telemarketing and call center solution focused on business to business outbound telemarketing, test-bed projects and special programs which are typically not well-suited for the traditional brick and mortar call center.
