Dealing with Demand: 5 Tips for Ramping Up Contact Centre Operations
Many contact centre operations encounter seasonal spikes in demand, but with the right technology and strategy, CX managers can scale quickly to deal with unexpected surges, as well as seasonal demand.
The festive season can be one of the busiest times of the year for contact centres as demand ramps up ahead of the holiday period. That can create problems for contact centre operations, especially for firms that traditionally do a lot of business then. Increased call volumes, stressed customers and last-minute requests all add up to a frantic time for customer-facing staff and managers. But with the right contact centre solution in place, tailored to the needs of the business, and some forward-planning, it’s possible to handle even the biggest spikes in demand.
Here’s how to prepare for expected, and unexpected, surges of activity in contact centre operations.
1. Plan ahead
If you know there’s a particularly busy time for the business in the offing, whether that’s the festive season, the launch of a new product, or a sales event, prepare in advance. Make sure there’s enough staff cover, and seasonal, or temporary staff can be available at short notice for when things really get busy.
Make sure that reserve personnel have the training they need to deal with a wide range of queries and tasks. While the latest CX solutions come with tools that can optimise staff scheduling, it’s up to managers to ensure that agents are cross-trained to effortlessly move from one role to another as needed.
Switching to around-the-clock support at peak times not only takes the pressure off, it demonstrates a commitment to the customer, allowing interactions, and purchases, when it’s most convenient to them.
2. Preparing to scale contact centre operations
If you know when spikes in demand are going to happen – you can prepare for them. Contact centre solutions now come with reporting tools that are highly effective at anticipating demand, and when that demand materialises, the latest cloud technologies make it easier to scale contact centre operations to meet a surge in demand at short notice.
Managers can do their part too, taking pressure off staff by ensuring that more queries are routed to self-service options. Additional features can be activated, based on need; for example, enabling the provision of automatic updates to customers waiting in queues.
3. Look after your people
Good EX means great CX. Look after your agents during periods of demand, and they’ll deliver a better experience to customers. Managers should aim to create a supportive environment where staff are valued. More companies are investing in health coaching, therapy training and other initiatives to help agents deal with stress and burnout. Make sure rotas are evenly distributed and everyone gets enough breaks. While short regular breaks tend to work best during intense periods, try experimenting with different shift patterns to find what works best with your contact centre operation.
Great managers have the ability to see the bigger picture, and will step in to support their teams when the pressure is on. Business leaders should look to hire those with a track record in successfully balancing agent well-being and performance.
4. Remove unnecessary tasks
When was the last time you audited your work processes? As you integrate new technology, such as AI, some tasks can be automated; others can be eliminated completely. Doing so can free up a lot of time for staff – time that can be repurposed during times of peak demand.
5. Optimise omnichannel technology
Today, contact centres use more channels than ever before. As well as using IVR for pre-recorded answers to common questions, you can also use it to redirect calls to other channels, such as social media, live chat or an email address. Offering call-backs can also reduce queue sizes.
Strategy and technology working together for contact centre operations
While many contact centre operations will be ramping up ahead of the festive season, not every surge in demand can be expected. Use historical data to pre-empt periods of high demand and have an action plan ready for your team for when it happens.
Finally, look at how the latest contact centre technology can help you forecast and manage spikes. Make demand planning part of your CX strategy, one that meets the needs of the business, as well as your contact centre operations. If you can do this, you’ll see the results in improved metrics even during busy periods, happier staff and more satisfied customers.
Before investing in the latest contact centre technology, talk to an expert at DigitalWell about how best to implement the latest solutions in your contact centre operations.
