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The Scheduling Swap Ideas from 2012 SWPP Conference

The following ideas, tips, techniques, and suggestions are from the recent Scheduling Swap session held at the 2012 Annual SWPP Conference.

  1. Use overtime correctly. Many managers erroneously believe that overtime is always a bad thing when in fact if used correctly it can improve a contact center’s bottom line. It may be cheaper in the long run to pay overtime to existing staff rather than base pay plus benefits to additional staff. And having too many staff on the payroll not utilized properly can lead to excessive labor costs.

  2. Cross-train to create blended reps. By cross-training staff, you create multi-skilled staff that can provide economies of scale when it comes to staffing. This not only means fewer headcount needed through more effective utilization of staff, but also provides a chance for those agents to develop new skills and be happier on the job.

  3. Provide external access to schedules. Giving agents the ability to view their schedules from outside the call center has many benefits. They don’t have to call in to check schedule changes and they can register a schedule trade request online, freeing up time of their supervisor and the WFM team.

    Offer shift-based pay rates. Since many employees want to work 8am-5pm Monday through Friday, offer an hourly pay increase for those willing to work evening shifts or schedules that cover the weekend. This incentive can provide the needed push to get the evening and weekend coverage you need.

  4. Implement a scientific schedule review model. Consider a model that one call center uses to review its over 500 schedule change requests in light of their impact on service goals and rep tenure. Over two-thirds of schedule change requests were honored but first analyzed to see impact on business. Optimal schedule changes were offered back to the reps improving schedule efficiency by 25%.

  5. Allow giveaways of partial shifts. One center allows their staff to give away their shifts of partial days (down to one hour) to other staff. The changes are done automatically over the web and provides for continuation of flexible schedules advantageous to the business goals.

  6. Maintain a virtual schedule swap board. A virtual bulletin board can be created where agents can offer hours to be picked up by others. A companion board offers hours where volunteers are available to work. The WFM team simply has to approve to ensure no overtime is involved. The boards are anonymous so there are no personalities involved.

  7. Vary daily schedule start times. Have a least a few people who are able to start at different times on different days of week – usually not more than one hour of variation by day. This approach is beneficial to any site with a different call pattern per day of week.

  8. Schedule based on agent availability and preference. Scheduling agents based upon their availability and preference has been a good practice for one call center. Schedules are based on business needs and then assigned according to agent tenure, performance, and schedule adherence.

  9. Offer split shifts. For a call center with wide variations throughout the day but typically in mid-morning and mid-afternoon peaks, creating a few split shift schedules can be very beneficial. For those agents willing to work this type of shift, reward with a special incentive.

  10. Give floating breaks and lunches to new hires. To help fill gaps in mostly fixed schedules, consider assigning floating lunches and breaks into the new-hire schedule. New reps will not yet be accustomed to the “fixed” schedules, it will be easier for them to accept.

  11. Offer variable schedules instead of shift bids. The following mix of schedules can improve coverage and proved needed flexibility to avoid a lengthy bidding process. Use 4x10 schedules, split shifts, integration of part-time, variable lunch times of 30, 45, or 60 minutes.

  12. Form a scheduling committee. Meet at least once a month with representatives from upper management, union, reps, etc. to discuss issues around scheduling and collaborate about ways to improve. This provides a forum for reps to have their ideas heard. Keep an action register to record ideas, progress, and achievements. This helps reward successful ideas from reps as well as make management more aware of issues and challenges.

  13. Create flex schedules to maximize coverage. Create some flex schedules in each bid where lunches can be either 30 or 60 minutes, start times can vary by up to three hours, and changes can be made as late as two days before. Pay a $1 per hour differential for these schedules that provide maximum fit.

    Use remote agents to provide split shift coverage. For call centers that experience two small peaks at different times of day, split shifts provide best coverage but are onerous to staff if they have to drive into center twice per day. Remote agents can provide split shift coverage and still have a win-win of getting to work from home.

Watch for more scheduling ideas in the next issue of On Target, and make your plans to join us for the 2013 SWPP Annual Conference and be part of this interactive session!