Featuring:
Jason Early, Sales Director, West, Calabrio
Randy Barnes, Sales Engineer, West, Calabrio
David Richards, Head of AppConnect Partnerships and Operations, Talkdesk
In some ways, holidays are the most reliable times of the year. They take place the same time every year, they are focused on the same type of celebration, and revenues typically soar. Conversely, they are the definition of chaos for most retailers when it comes to forecasting, and the tremendous uptick in customer calls can be downright overwhelming.
Peak times during the holidays can lead to long hold queues, more comments on social media channels, and an influx of communication being generated via chat and email. And many companies that rely on ecommerce and telephone sales will experience peak times on an ongoing basis from early November until mid January. Making sure that KPI metrics are tracked and SLAs met during this time provides valuable insight about your business’ performance. Workforce management (WFM) is at the core of ensuring companies connect with their customers when and where they need them. Creating outstanding customer experiences is vital for companies to maintain a competitive advantage.
Staffing costs are often the biggest expense in contact centers. Knowing how to effectively prepare for the upcoming season requires reviewing historical data from past years, industry projections, and other forms of intelligence. Having sufficient staff for handling calls, monitoring social media channels, and managing other contact center functions requires lines of sight to be able to plan and staff accordingly.