Customer Reach

Volume 2.2 - Feb 2005 - Page 2 [Previous | Next]

(C) 2005 The Taylor Reach Group

Reproduced with kind permission

The savings from this change in staff mix reflects a 6.5% reduction in overall center costs, which in our model is over $100,000 per annum.

Employing the model above will also allow the center to better manage spike in volumes which require additional hours and/or staff to handle to the same Service Level. The chart to the left illustrates the impact of 5% to 20% increases in staffed hours required.

The use of part-time staff to absorb additional demand hours will cost effectively allow the center to manage the increased demand. Caution must be taken however to only employ this tactically as permanently increasing part-time staff hours to approaching that of full-time will in some states (or company policies) require the movement of the staff from part-time to full-time status.

Similarly this approach can be employed to reduce part-time staff hours if volumes are reduced without impacting the full-time staff. Reductions in hours that are too severe or longstanding can increase turnover of part-time staff so caution must be employed.

To place the training costs into context; if we once again look at our hypothetical center which employs 50 FTEs and moves from 100% full-time staff to a split of 75% full-time and 25% part-time they will require 25 part-time staff (Some of this staff may move from the full-time ranks which will shrink by 12 staff). If we assume a three week training program for the new staff the cost of training will be $34,700. This cost when compared to the annualized saving of $104,000 provides a return on investment of under 3 months.

The challenges around turnover and recruitment can be limited, mitigated or overcome through addressing both of these issues simultaneously with the implementation of part-time and/or casual/temporary staff. Issues surrounding company policies and/or state legislation require attention to ensure that even tactical increases of part-time hours will not contravene such policies.

The adoption of an appropriate staff mix to your centers line of business, hours of operation and seasonal fluctuations provides a more effective and more efficient call center that is better able to absorb variations in call volumes while still maintaining the Service Level.

Poll Of The Month

Each month on the TRG website (www.thetaylorreachgroup.com) readers are asked to cast their vote in in a monthly poll.

We recently asked you to identify your current and/or planned activities opposite Call/Voice logging or recording.

Poll Results: 31% of the call centers that responded indicated that they are planning to implement Voice or call recording. This supports a recent COMMfusion and Tern study that forecasted this segment of the Call Center technology market to grow at 13% CAGR through 2008. 38% of the participating organizations have already deployed this technology and 31% have no plans to do so today.

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