Ir directamente al contenido principal

Article 2 min read

Introducing tailored staffing parameters by channel type

Increase your forecast's accuracy by tailoring it specifically to the channels you and your teams use.

Por Lilith Shoemaker, Contributing Writer

Última actualización el May 3, 2024

Agent sitting on the ground

This new forecast enhancement offers options that will increase your forecast’s accuracy and allow you to tailor it specifically to the most useful channels. That’s right; we are talking about allowing you to set specific parameters based on the channel you are forecasting rather than one-size-fits-all parameters for all channels.

Here’s a breakdown of what you now have to use per channel:

Email:

  • Occupancy

  • Average handle time

  • First response time and its target percentage

  • Shrinkage

  • Minimum staffing

  • Availability, if relevant

Chat:

  • Occupancy

  • Duration

  • Concurrency

  • Wait time and its target percentage

  • Shrinkage

  • Minimum Staffing

  • Availability, if relevant

Voice:

  • Occupancy

  • Average handle time

  • Speed of answer and its target percentage

  • Shrinkage

  • Minimum Staffing

  • Availability, if relevant

With this more flexible approach, you’ll have increased forecast accuracy per channel and have the option to set the minimum number of people needed regardless of the volume forecasted for that channel. Previously, Zendesk WFM would default minimum staffing to two during low/no volume times as one person may take a break. We recommend this, but now it’s up to you and your staffing strategy.

Why this is important:

When teams have customers call in after hours, unless a voicemail service is offered, we generally won’t see callbacks take place. In this case, no time is spent on this request during working hours, but this overnight ticket will remain in the queue until addressed during your team’s working hours. With this new specificity, our forecast is now considering these types of situations.

Zendesk works with tons of computer phone integration providers, and on Zendesk WFM you can use workstreams to account for this channel even if it’s not native to Zendesk. In these cases, the workstream is set up based on a ticket contact via type rather than voice. Now, in the forecast, you simply change the channel to voice, and you can customize your forecast and staffing needs based on voice metrics.

Relatos relacionados

Article
4 min read

The 3 biggest AI missteps CX leaders make + how you can avoid them and succeed

CX leaders have long been asked to anticipate customer needs, empower agents, and deliver seamless service…

Article
3 min read

Zendesk AI customers are building teams of super agents: 3 ways you can too

Agents have long battled overloaded queues, inefficient workflows, and the constant pressure to deliver fast, personalized…

Article
2 min read

Employee communication guide: 5 tips to improve it

Effective employee communication is vital to increase productivity, improve employee service, and ensure security—especially in a hybrid world. Read our blog to learn how to enhance it.

Article
3 min read

63 employee engagement ideas to boost morale and retention

These 63 employee engagement ideas can help you boost morale, retention, and productivity. Start improving engagement today with our guide.