With the majority of people spending more time at home and many with more free time on their hands, inbound call centers are likely dealing with an increase in the amount of people responding to multimedia ads and/or taking the time to make customer service calls they may have been putting off. Here are some tips on how to manage the increased call volume efficiently and in a way that will meet the needs of both your agents and customers:

  • Update Your IVR: One of the great things about CallShaper’s cloud-based call center platform is the Interactive Voice Responder, which is easily edited and changed. If you’re anticipating higher call volume, add new steps or alter the flow that callers follow, perhaps sending them to a queue or to voicemail depending on the urgency of their call. This can help limit or slow the number of calls that make it through to agents, preventing them from being overwhelmed and ensuring that they are able to assist each caller to the best of their ability.
  • Use Data to Calculate Anticipated Call Volume: CallShaper records loads of data, including the types of calls coming through, the lengths of calls and how the inquiries are handled. All of this information can be utilized to determine the anticipated call volume as well as the breakdown of the anticipated types of calls, if your agents are fielding more than one kind. Then once you have this data you can make sure your call center (even if that consists of agents working from home) is properly staffed to accommodate these calculations.
  • Schedule Breaks: Whether your agents are still in the office or working from home, increased call volume means that they will fatigue faster. To make sure that every caller is reaching an agent who is performing at an optimal level, schedule more frequent breaks to prevent call fatigue.
  • Have a Backup Plan: It’s possible that your call volume will increase so much that it is too much for your staff to handle. If this is or even might be the case, make sure to have a backup plan in place. Perhaps this is an outsourced vendor that can take overflow calls, or a pool of backup staff that can take overflow calls as needed on an individual basis.

Increased call volume to inbound call centers means that there are many customers who may be having their first experience with the agents in your call center during this difficult time. These steps will help you meet their needs and expectations, as well as support your agents. And if you have questions or need anything else, CallShaper is here to help. Reach out to us today!

Request A Demo