April 18th, 2021
Call Center Staffing: How Many Call Center Agents Do I Need?
As a call center manager, workforce management is an essential operations role. Getting the correct number of call center agents is instrumental in boosting the call center’s performance and commanding the daily workload.
Understanding your call center staffing needs can seem like a daunting task. Thankfully, there are proven tactics to calculate the number of call center agents required. So, how many call center agents do I need? Keep reading to find out.
Factors That Affect Staffing Calculations
Every calculation relies on historical data, and this one is no different. Therefore, the first step is knowing which information you need to determine the number of agents able to handle calls efficiently. Below is a list of factors that affect staffing calculations.
The number of incoming customer calls
Typically, your call center should have existing tools to determine how many calls you receive within a given period. These tools include automated call distribution systems (ACD), customer relationship management, and call detail records (CDRs).
The average handling time (AHT)
Your call center’s average handling time is the amount of time each agent spends speaking to a customer. The AHT also includes the wrap time, i.e., time spent inputting the call record. With this number, you can gauge how many calls you often handle. Also, while the average AHT is 294 seconds across the call center industry, your business’ complexity will ultimately affect the AHT.
Service level goal
Service level refers to the percentage of calls answered within a specific timeframe. The typical service level goal for call centers is to answer 80% of calls within 20 seconds. Due to the swelling customer expectations, some contact centers have been striving to handle 90% within 15 seconds.
In case you’re wondering whether the service level matters, it does, and here’s why. Let’s say that your call center requires 21 agents to handle 350 inbound calls and to meet the 80/20 service level goal.
Any alteration to the staff numbers has a noticeable effect. So if you add two agents to your call center, this reduces the average speed of answer (ASA) from 25 seconds to 15 seconds. If you subtract one member, the ASA will increase, meaning that the staff left behind must handle more phone calls.
Shrinkage
You won’t always find customer service representatives at their desks. Some of the reasons for their absence could be falling ill, going on vacation, bathroom and lunch breaks, or simply getting to work late. This unavailability, whether scheduled or not, is known as shrinkage. Understanding the shrinkage rate helps you plan for staff unavailability by amending your staffing pool.
Usually, the average shrinking rate for call centers is 35%. However, it is up to you to determine what’s considered the acceptable rate for your contact center.
High and low season
Every business experiences a peak and low season. And, your call center staffing needs may differ depending on the day of the week. For instance, due to the current pandemic, the Zoom customer support team will likely receive more customer calls during weekdays than on weekends.
Knowing your business’s peak and downtimes helps you adopt a resource-efficient hiring model such as hiring freelance staff who’ll come in during peak season.
Occupancy rate
The occupancy rate is the inverse of shrinkage. It’s a calculation of the time your agents spend answering customer calls. To measure your center’s occupancy rate, you’ll need to divide the workload by the actual working hours.
The recommended occupancy rate is anywhere between 85 and 90 percent. Increased call volumes require a reasonable number of agents to handle calls effectively.
How Many Call Center Agents Do I Need?
You can determine how many call center agents you need using the factors mentioned above. The standard method used to assess your call center staffing needs is the erlang calculator. Call centers use this calculator and the erlang c formula to determine how many agents they need to meet their service level objective.
This calculation requires data such as AHT, occupancy, and shrinkage rate to provide the most accurate answer. This erlang calculator is a valuable tool for call center managers who need to report staffing-related metrics or improve customer calls’ overall quality.
Contact PridesStaff for Workforce Management Solutions
Understanding your call center’s staffing needs guarantees productivity, reduces shrinkage and turnover rates. It’s not sorely about getting the correct number of agents. Workforce management is also about hiring top talent.
PrideStaff is an employment agency in Fort Lauderdale that offers comprehensive staffing solutions such as call center and administrative staffing services. Our rigorous recruitment process ensures that all our clients receive highly qualified candidates that match their organization’s culture and needs.
So, if you plan on hiring new call center agents, the PrideStaff team has got you covered. Need more information? Reach out to us at 754.800.2850 for a free consultation.