Hi everyone. I'm looking for some feedback on a few matters i'm interested in benchmarking against ourselves.

What is the average absence rate in your centre?
What occupancy rate do you aim for (our centre is an inbound service only environment)?
What is the typical service level aimed for?

Thanks.

Mark:

How many employees?
Turnover rate per year?
Turnover rate during the first 6 months?
Absentee rate?
How many managers?
Turnover rate by manager?

Bob

Mark, here are a few tidbits for you to benchmark against:

1. Average Absence Rate: most calls centers we know report (and staff to) an absence rate of 5-7% per day. This rate may be higher on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, and lower on other days of the week. Making schedule adherence, including absenteeism, a component of the agent performance evaluation can help to drive this number down.

2. Occupancy for inbound programs is maximized based on the service level required, and the size of the program. Here are some good benchmarks, assuming 80% of calls answered in 20 seconds or less:
*35 Agents = ~50% occupancy
*75 Agents = ~70% occupancy
*110 Agents = ~75% occupancy
*150 Agents = ~78% occupancy
*200 Agents= ~81% occupancy

After 200 agents or so, your opportunities for higher occupancies (without sacrificing service levels) are more difficult, but do-able.

3. Service levels vary, but the most typical is 80% of all calls answered in 20 seconds or less (80/20). Anyone else?

Hope this is helpful to you.
Brent

I have a small 30 seater centre with 39 staff (3 of whom are teal leaders).

Turn over is negligable (less than 3% generally).

Absence is the issue (although to be fair this year has been unique in that there have been a higher number oflong term than usual). With long term we are averageing around 11% for the year to date (minus the long term we probably sit around the 6 or 7% range).

How has tying absence into the performance review been achieved and how has this been perceived ?

In addition has anyone had experience of problems getting their teams together to communicate due to service level targets and pressures of maintaining these? How do smaller centres carry out briefings, team meetings etc? Has anyone implemented or considered closing the centre for a fixed period (ie 45 minutes) every week at the same time on the same day and if so is this effective?