Shift Bids can be intimidating.  If your organization is thinking about trying a shift bid, or have been doing them and looking to get better, this is the episode for you.  Dave and Mark discuss the Pros and Cons of shift bidding, things to avoid, and things to pay attention to.  We promise this is the most entertaining discussion on Shift Bids that you will ever hear!

Do you empower your agents to make their own decisions? Is your attrition where you want it to be?  Let's talk about Agent Empowerment and how it can revolutionize your agent base.  By letting them make decisions on their own schedules, it changes how you are viewed as a leader, as an employer, and as a mentor.  Listen as Mark Beards talks about what it means to empower your agents, and how to treat them like adults. 

What is Shrinkage? A question that has been asked many, many times.  Mark Beards, WFM Consultant at Calabrio and Dave Hoekstra attempt to break it all down.  Answers to questions like, How do I define shrinkage? What should shrinkage include? What are the different types of shrinkage?  Answers to all of that and more on the latest episode of Calabrio Shorts!

How do the pieces all fit?  When talking about Service Level, ASA, CSAT and other KPI in your contact center, how do you balance those critical KPI with cost?  Join Dave and Hussein Kamel, Strategic Consultant with Calabrio, as they discuss how to focus on multiple data points without causing all of the others to be affected.

Listen in as DaNeece Sheldon, customer success manager at Calabrio gives out all of her QM Calibration secrets. Find out what is a calibration, why do we need calibrations and how can calibrations create fairness, build morale, keep the integrity of the process and more! 

Changing evaluation questions can invalidate your contact center data. That is why creating great evaluation questions from the start is key.
Dave Hoekstra is joined by program enablement manager, Therese Fruth, to discuss how to create great questions. Therese Fruth has firsthand experience building a contact center from the ground up. She shares strategies on how many evaluation questions to include, examples of good and bad questions, as well as tips for keep the organizational goals top of mind. 

WFM forecasting is the blending of science and art: It needs to be fluid as things are constantly changing within contact centers. Although at times it can be challenging, forecasting is the key to running a successful contact center. But how do you plan for the anomalies, ensure you're using the right historical data, and adapt your forecast as needed?

In this episode, Dave and Matt discuss useful tips for generating a more accurate WFM forecast. While the key to accurate forecasting lies within your data, it takes an artful approach (and a willingness to adapt and change). Learn how to leverage this data and create a stronger forecast formula.

A solid look at how callback solutions can affect a WFM strategy; How can we make sure we are counting the calls in the right spot, how does it affect staffing, and what are some things to look out for when introducing a callback strategy?  Join a panel of Calabrio experts as we discuss all of this and more!

What is Call Center Service Level?

A service level agreement (SLA) gives a measure of overall call handling performance that helps management make decisions based on an agreed upon standard. Service level measures the percentage of how many calls are answered within a certain number of seconds. This figure is not limited to calls; it can also include any type of inbound interaction, such as chats. 

Since every call center is different, there is no industry standard for service level. However, a common service level goal would be 80% of calls answered within 30 seconds or less. When this target is met it leads to a greater customer experience and appropriate staffing levels. 

So how do you find the service level of your contact center? 

If your service level target is a certain percentage in less than 30 seconds, start by looking at the total number of calls that were taken in less than 30 seconds. Then, divide that number by the total number of handled calls during your designated time period. This could be over the past few days, weeks, months, or years or in a specific 15-minute interval. Finally, compare your percentage with your target goals to see if you are meeting your ideal service level. 

Reaching your call center’s service level can help improve customer satisfaction by meeting their needs quickly. It can also help managers like yourself evaluate the customer journey, look for any issues and measure the success of your contact center. 

Listen to Dave Hoekstra on the Calabrio Shorts podcast to learn more about what service level is and how it can help your employees and customers!