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10,000+ teams use Hiver to delight customers!
Customer Service Scheduling Software: Definition + Key Benefits + Tools
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In today’s fast-paced and customer-centric business environment, organizations strive to deliver exceptional customer service to gain a competitive edge. As per our customer support research report, we found that 52% of customers want fast, personalized, and interactive support.
Efficient scheduling lies at the core of successful customer service operations, ensuring the right resources are available at the right time to meet customer demands. Traditional manual scheduling processes often result in inefficiencies, errors, and suboptimal resource allocation.
To overcome these challenges, organizations are increasingly turning to advanced customer service scheduling software solutions. In this thought leadership article, we will delve into the transformative impact of customer service scheduling software, exploring its key benefits, features, and how it drives operational excellence and enhances customer satisfaction.
Table of Contents
- What is a Customer Service Scheduling Software?
- Key Features of a Customer Service Scheduling Software
- Top 9 Customer Service Scheduling Software for 2023
- Conclusion
What is a Customer Service Scheduling Software?
Customer service scheduling software is a specialized tool designed to streamline and automate the process of scheduling customer service representatives or agents. It is a digital solution that replaces manual scheduling methods such as spreadsheets, calendars, or paper-based systems.
Customer service scheduling software offers features and functionalities that enable organizations to efficiently manage and optimize their customer service workforce. It allows supervisors and managers to create, assign, and modify agent schedules, ensuring that the right number of representatives with the necessary skills are available to handle customer inquiries and support requests.
Related articles for you:
1. Automating Customer Service (Without Losing the Human Touch)
2. 18 Key Customer Service Metrics + How to Use Them
3. One Mistake That’s Costing Your Business Time and Money
Key Features of a Customer Service Scheduling Software
Explore the key features that make customer service scheduling software indispensable for businesses of all sizes and how it can revolutionize your customer service management.
Shift Management: The software allows supervisors to create and assign shifts to agents based on their availability, skills, and workload requirements. It ensures proper coverage during different hours of operation and accommodates varying shift patterns. For example, an agent may be assigned to work from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Agent Availability and Preferences: Agents can input their availability and set preferences for specific shifts or days off through the software. This empowers them with a level of control and flexibility over their schedules, improving agent satisfaction and work-life balance. For instance, an agent may indicate that they prefer to work on weekends and have Mondays and Tuesdays off.
Real-Time Updates and Notifications: The software provides real-time updates and notifications to supervisors and agents regarding any schedule changes, shift swaps, or updates. This ensures that everyone involved is aware of the latest scheduling information. For example, if an agent requests to swap their shift with another agent, both agents and the supervisor receive instant notifications about the proposed swap and can approve or decline it within the software.
Forecasting and Demand Planning: Customer service scheduling software often includes forecasting capabilities, allowing supervisors to predict customer demand based on historical data, trends, and seasonality. This helps in accurately planning and allocating resources to meet anticipated customer service needs. For instance, it may identify that customer queries tend to increase during the holiday season or on specific days of the week.
Skills-Based Routing: The software enables supervisors to assign agents with specific skills or expertise to handle different types of customer interactions. This ensures that customers are directed to the most suitable representatives who can effectively address their inquiries or issues. With Hiver, you can automatically assign tickets and conversations to team members based on their skill-set. For instance, an agent fluent in Spanish may be assigned to handle Spanish-speaking customers.
Reporting and Analytics: Customer service scheduling software generates reports and analytics that provide insights into agent performance, schedule adherence, service level agreement (SLA) compliance, and other key metrics. This data helps managers make data-driven decisions, identify areas for improvement, and optimize scheduling processes. The reporting and analytics feature in Hiver is quite comprehensive. It offers real-time insights into team performance, besides helping you generate multiple reports to understand your customer data better.
Top 9 Customer Service Scheduling Software for 2023
The customer service scheduling software market offers a range of tools to streamline and optimize scheduling processes. Here are 9 popular customer service scheduling tools:
1. Zendesk Support
Zendesk Support is a comprehensive customer service platform that includes scheduling features. It allows supervisors to create and manage agent schedules, assign shifts, and track availability. The software integrates with other Zendesk products and provides real-time visibility into agent performance and schedule adherence.
2. Genesys Cloud
Genesys Cloud is a cloud-based contact center solution that offers robust scheduling capabilities. It enables supervisors to create schedules, manage shifts, and monitor agent availability. The tool provides real-time updates, automates shift changes, and offers forecasting features for efficient workforce management.
3. Calabrio WFM
Calabrio WFM (Workforce Management) is a powerful scheduling tool specifically designed for contact centers. It offers forecasting and demand planning, schedule optimization, and real-time adherence monitoring. The software provides insights into agent performance and helps organizations optimize resource allocation.
4. Verint Monet WFM
Verint Monet WFM is a workforce management solution that includes advanced scheduling features. It provides forecasting, schedule optimization, and adherence tracking. The tool offers self-service capabilities for agents to manage their schedules, and it integrates with other contact center applications for seamless operation.
5. ServiceNow Customer Service Management
ServiceNow Customer Service Management is an end-to-end customer service solution that includes scheduling capabilities. It allows organizations to create and manage agent schedules, track availability, and optimize workforce resources. The software integrates with other ServiceNow modules for streamlined operations.
6. Salesforce Service Cloud
Salesforce Service Cloud is a customer service platform that offers scheduling functionality. It enables supervisors to create schedules, assign shifts, and track agent availability. The software provides real-time visibility into agent performance and integrates with other Salesforce products for comprehensive customer service management.
7. NICE Workforce Management
NICE Workforce Management is a comprehensive workforce optimization solution that includes scheduling capabilities. It offers advanced forecasting, scheduling optimization, and adherence tracking. The software provides real-time insights into agent performance and helps organizations align staffing levels with customer demand.
8. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform with scheduling features. It allows organizations to create and manage agent schedules, track availability, and optimize resource allocation. The software integrates with other Microsoft products for seamless collaboration and data management.
9. Aircall
Aircall is a cloud-based phone system that includes scheduling features for customer service teams. It offers call routing, queuing, and real-time analytics. The software allows supervisors to manage agent schedules and track call volume, ensuring efficient call handling and optimal staffing.
Conclusion
These software solutions provide a range of features to help organizations effectively manage customer service scheduling processes. It’s important to evaluate each software’s specific capabilities, integration options, scalability, and user reviews to find the best fit for your organization’s needs.
