In 2008 we started getting worried about the economy, and we wrote a white paper about how call centers can deal with the decline. It has been more than two years since that paper was published…how are we faring now?

By all accounts, the US economy is improving, but not out of the woods yet. Kiplinger’s latest outlook shows a late 2010 GDP gain of 3.2%, and expects a 3.5% increase this year. Both consumers and businesses plan to increase spending, which should help the economy get back on its feet. However, the unemployment rate is still alarmingly high (nearly double digits), and the economy cannot truly rebound until people are back at work.

Contact centers have tightened their belts in the past couple years, and I don’t expect much of a loosening anytime soon. Now that operations are streamlined and headcount is down, senior management may have gotten used to lower expenses coming from the contact center. They may ask you to continue operating at reduced levels. If so, what can you do to meet your service level and customer service goals?

First of all, know what’s happening in your call center as it happens. Looking at a report at the end of the day won’t do much to handle the spike in calls that happened at noon. Historical data has its value, of course, but nothing replaces the actionable real-time data reports. Display this data on your computer screen or on digital signage, but make sure you can identify your most important KPIs as they happen.

Next, have a plan in place for how you will deal with certain situations, and automate processes if possible. For example, identify a threshold of calls waiting in a certain queue, and if the actual number of calls waiting exceeds your pre-defined limit, automate a message to idle agents in other queues to jump over and assist. Or if call volume is low, automatically notify agents that they should focus on other work, such as watching training videos or entering data. Your agents are your most expensive resource; ensure that they are making the best use of their time.

I’m sure you have a laundry list of technology upgrades, HR hires, training resources, and other expenses to ask for as soon as your budget opens up. Until then, make the best of what you have with streamlined processes and strategic plans. I’ll be keeping my eye on the economy in the meantime.

About Maureen:
Maureen has been a Marketing Specialist at Inova Solutions since 2007 and is a graduate of James Madison University. Maureen lives in Charlottesville, VA with roots in Baltimore, MD. You can contact her at maureen@insideinova.com.