The importance of Average Handle Time (AHT).
July 8 – How long is four and a half minutes? It depends on the context. If you’re rushing to make a flight, it can go by in the blink of an eye. But if your boss is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and you’re sitting with him while on hold on your company’s own customer […]
Ask your agents why they stay.
June 24 – We typically ask departing agents why they are leaving, but do you ever ask your current staff why they stay? That might seem like a loaded question, but it is one that can be important to ask. In many organizations the exit interview is used as a gauge of what is working […]
Do you know what you don’t know?
June 17 – Before you spend too much time contemplating this question, let me tell you that I didn’t know what I didn’t know when I first started in Workforce Management. Even when I felt like I did, I was still learning how to use our WFM system out of the box. And I didn’t […]
Keep on top of your Holiday forecasting.
June 10 – With Memorial Day behind us and more holidays on the way, it is a good idea to always stay up to date on KPI deviations and contact allocation patterns up to and following any holiday. There are several holidays that remain on consistent days of the week like Memorial Day, President’s Day, […]
Are your agents pushing the right buttons?
May 27 – Forecasting and scheduling accuracy can be affected by something as simple as the way agents use the various buttons on their telephone set. Misuse of these buttons can easily throw off your forecast and resulting staffing plan. Depending on the ACD system that you use, your agents may have a button for […]
Create a “Missed Service Level” report.
May 20 – Missing Service Level goals can sometimes leave you scratching your head and wondering why. Not to mention that when you come up short, senior management usually demands an explanation of what went wrong. A very simple practice may help you be better prepared to answer senior management’s questions and help you identify […]
Challenge your WFM staff to do something out of their comfort zone.
May 13 – Do you ever feel the weight of either you or your staff doing the same thing over and over again? From crunching the numbers, to creating schedules, to managing real-time, we have all done it. We get into the same routines and it’s easy for WFM people get into a rut. One […]
What to do AFTER the SWPP Annual Conference.
May 6 – I had a great time at this year’s SWPP Annual Conference! I enjoyed meeting all the new folks, and seeing old friends as well. But now that I have attended, what’s next? How do I get the most from what I’ve learned and pave the way for my attendance next year? The […]
Work with your Operations team when creating new processes.
April 29 – If you are creating new schedules or implementing new scheduling processes, make sure to connect with your Operations team throughout the process. You want to make sure they understand it before you implement anything new! Many times I have seen new procedures like shift bidding or staffing change processes implemented without the […]
Embrace the tension!
April 22 – WFM often feels tension as we are positioned to serve both the company needs and goals and the agent needs and goals. Regardless of where WFM sits in your organization (operations, IT, HR, sales, etc), we are all asked to serve both sides. We’re asked to forecast when our customers will be […]
How flexible is your staff?
April 15 – Do you know how flexible your staff is? Be sure to survey your agents to find out what they will or won’t accept for schedules and scheduling processes. With the trend being to be more “agent friendly,” it is better to survey the staff to find how flexible or inflexible they are […]
Transform workforce management with an app.
April 8 – With over 2.7 billion people across the world using smartphones and the app industry thriving, now is the time for organizations to look at smartphone applications to help create a successful workplace management strategy as well as save time and money. By providing your employees with a solution that gives them remote […]