We also have an Excel-based Erlang Calculator. There are 2 call centre calculators on the Call Centre Helper website: You put in a service level target (such as 90% of calls answered in 20 seconds), the call duration and the number of calls, and it will work out the staff number needed. Use an Erlang CalculatorĪn “Erlang” Calculator can help you to calculate numbers of agents needed for a given number of calls. If you really aren’t sure where to start, it can help to employ the services of an experienced consultant who has helped start up a number of contact centres. These can then be used as a collective point of reference for decision-making later on. For example, will your business need to handle webchat as well as phone calls?Įven if you aren’t 100% sure on the details, you should sit down with your team and work out some approximate forecasts you all agree on. You should also factor in the other channels that you might need.

If you are running a contract-based service, your contract should outline expected call volumes and duration and you can work around this. The question of how many staff you will need will come down to individual needs – and should be based on predictions and forecasting. Use all the information you have to calculate how many employees you’ll need Read the Workforce Management Reference Guide, to find out everything you need about Workforce Management and Resource Planning. Guessing at how many employees you will need could leave you stuck in an office that is 50 seats short, or paying out for space you don’t need – both of these scenarios could cost you heavily in the long run. Once you have a firm gauge on size, you can then base all of your technology, recruitment and office space needs around this. You also need to determine how big your contact centre needs to be for your business to be successful. Don’t just guess how many employees you’ll need to accommodate

For example, reassessing any offshore or outsourcing contracts. If you are planning to move from existing premises, opening up a new contact centre can also be an opportunity to reconsider your business strategy. It can also help to look at what channels your customers are using and where you need to be to align with their needs.

The first thing you should do is identify the reason why you are opening a new contact centre, specifically focusing on your purpose and objectives. Calculate the number of employees needed Identify the core purpose of your contact centre Here are some key considerations to keep in mind when opening a brand new contact centre.

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