What to Look for in Call Center Scheduling Software

Tired of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on overtime fees to cover peak periods? Or scrambling to reassign agents when one person is suddenly unavailable? It’s time to switch to scheduling software for your call center.

While spreadsheets might work well at first, they become time-consuming, error-prone, and cumbersome as your call center scales. That’s why smart call centers use scheduling software. It’s not just about filling shifts; it’s about optimizing resources, reducing labor costs, and ensuring seamless operations.

This article shares the most important things to consider when shopping for call center software — so you don’t end up with the wrong tool. It also recommends some of the best call center platforms with advanced scheduling capabilities, including Nextiva.

Why Should You Care About Call Center Scheduling?

As a small call center with few agents and customers, you might be able to manage your scheduling needs using Excel spreadsheets. However, as your business scales, you’ll need a dedicated tool for tracking resource allocation, automating scheduling, and ensuring optimal workforce availability.

Here are some reasons why agent scheduling software is a must-have for contact centers:

1. Operational efficiency

Scheduling software automatically monitors your call center operations to identify peak and off periods. This data helps you ensure that the correct number of agents are always available — instead of having an over- or under-staffed call center.

For example, if call volumes double during the holiday season, the scheduling app can flag this in advance, allowing you to plan for hiring additional agents to support the existing staff. Similarly, the software will flag off-periods ahead of time so you don’t end up paying for agents who don’t do any work.

2. Cost reduction

Call center scheduling software reduces operational costs by:

• Ensuring that you only pay for the number of call center agents you need.
• Limiting the need for overtime shifts during peak periods as agents don’t have to work longer hours to cover peak periods.

You can reinvest the money you save to improve your call center. For example, you could buy advanced software to streamline operations or provide training to help your agents work more effectively.

3. Enhanced customer satisfaction

Nearly 45% of participants in a Replicant survey said they find wait times of 5–15 minutes frustrating. Too few agents handling high call volumes can result in long wait times. Scheduling software can fix this.

Scheduling tools analyze historical data and trends to predict call volumes and peak activity times so that enough agents can be scheduled during high-demand periods, preventing long queues. If call volumes suddenly increase, scheduling software can adjust shifts or reallocate agents in real time, ensuring that customers receive on-time responses, regardless of the call volumes.

The Most Important Scheduling Features to Look for in Call Center Software

Here are the must-have features of call center scheduling software — whether built for small organizations or enterprise businesses:

• Forecasting and analytics: The software should be able to analyze call volumes and agent performance. You can then use this information to forecast agent schedules for effective resource management.
• Real-time monitoring: Beyond analyzing historical data, a good scheduling platform monitors call center performance to identify sudden spikes or dips in call volumes. For the former, it automatically reassigns agents to handle the increased number of calls and prevent long wait times.
• Flexible scheduling options: The software should support features like split shifts, part-time roles, shift swapping, and schedule rota to accommodate varying agent availability and preferences.
• Agent self-service portals: A good scheduling software tool gives agents some control and flexibility over their schedules. At the very least, it should let them swap shifts with each other (with permission), submit requests for time off, and request extra shifts to cover planned absences.

How to Use Call Center Scheduling Software

Call center scheduling software helps you optimize agent availability through:

1. Peak demand management

Scheduling software can predict peak demand periods based on historical data, allowing you to plan staff schedules to account for a higher influx of calls. It can also implement real-time schedule adjustments and assign agents to areas experiencing a sudden increase in inbound calls.

Peak demand management reduces customer wait time — leading to faster resolutions, better service quality, and higher levels of satisfaction.

2. Skill-based routing

Based on expected call volumes and the types of inquiries predicted during specific times, the software schedules agents with the relevant skills to ensure they’re available when needed.

For example, if data shows that customers mostly call for billing issues in the morning, it will assign agents specialized in this area to the morning shifts. Customers’ billing issues can then be resolved quickly instead of having them wait indefinitely for an expert.

Call center scheduling software also integrates with Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. These systems use the agent skill data from the scheduling software to route calls to the most qualified agent.

3. Intraday management

Scheduling software integrates with systems that track live call volumes, agent availability, and performance metrics. Managers can see if call volumes deviate from forecasts, allowing for quick adjustments.

If there’s an unexpected spike or lull in demand, the software enables managers to reassign agents, extend or shorten shifts, or call in backup staff to meet immediate needs.

Some systems also send alerts if service levels drop for reasons like rising hold times or low agent availability, prompting managers to take corrective action before the situation worsens.

Key Integrations With Call Center Scheduling Software

Call center scheduling software isn’t a standalone tool. You’ll need to integrate it with specific tools to manage your call center operations effectively.

1. CRM system

Integrating your schedule software with CRM tools like Hubspot and Salesforce provides agents with up-to-date customer information for personalizing interactions.

Instead of switching between platforms, the agent can view recorded information about customer behavior, purchase history, and other interactions within the same platform. It saves time and keeps things streamlined.

Any new information from the agent’s conversation with the customer is automatically recorded in the CRM, streamlining all your information in one place.

2. Workforce management tools

Combining your scheduling software with workforce management tools like project management software and automated time and attendance tracking software helps you manage call center resources efficiently.

For example, workforce management software uses historical data and AI to forecast call volumes, peak times, and agent requirements. The scheduling tool automatically generates shift plans to meet these demands.

This response helps you avoid over- or under-staffing your call center. It matches agent availability and skills to projected workloads — ensuring that the right agents are available to help customers at all times.

3. Communication platforms

Integrate your scheduling software with your communication channels to manage omnichannel interactions efficiently.

Customer inquiries shared via email or social media can trigger automated alerts or notifications for agents based on their schedules — helping them to respond on time and reduce customer wait times.

The scheduling software can track the volume of interactions across each communication channel and use this data to predict peak periods. This approach allows you to forecast when more agents will be needed and adjust staffing to ensure adequate coverage.

The Top 3 Call Center Software With Integrated Scheduling

Shopping for a call center solution that supports scheduling? Here are our top picks.

1. Nextiva

Top of our list is Nextiva. It’s a comprehensive call center platform offering advanced workforce scheduling features, including forecasting, real-time monitoring, and agent self-service portals. It integrates with CRM tools like Salesforce and Hubspot — providing a unified solution for managing and scaling your call center operations.

What users love most about Nextiva is its intuitive interface and excellent customer support that goes above and beyond to resolve issues on time.

It’s worth noting that Nextiva may take longer to retrieve contact information, especially if you have an extensive database. But its advanced features, numerous integrations, and smooth scheduling experience make it an excellent choice for growing businesses looking for reliable call center software.

2. Five9

Five9 is a decent choice for businesses that plan to scale their call center setup and operations quickly. It offers advanced scheduling capabilities including time-based routing and a virtual call center to optimize agent availability.

Five9 stands out for its flexibility and ease of integration with APIs, allowing you to extend your call center’s capabilities and customize workflows for specific business needs.

However, its complex user interface can feel overwhelming for new users, making it difficult to ramp up your team quickly.

3. TalkDesk

TalkDesk supports multiple scheduling models, including auto-scheduling, split shifts, and rotating schedules. It also provides advanced scheduling analytics that help you track call metrics for effective call center decision-making.

TalkDesk has an extensive knowledge base where you can find courses and help videos to assist your agents in ramping up quickly. This provision benefits large call centers that often onboard new agents to meet “peak period” demands.

The downside is that TalkDesk is quite buggy, which affects your call center efficiency. Some users have reported that the platform logged them out abruptly during peak hours. In certain cases, TalkDesk automatically rejects inbound calls.

Schedule Your Call Center Efficiently With Nextiva

Efficient scheduling is the key to delivering exceptional customer experiences while optimizing agents’ productivity and your resources. However, this only happens with the right software.

While many call center scheduling options are on the market, Nextiva stands out for its advanced capabilities, ease of use, and flexible pricing. It is ideal for growing businesses looking for call center software that can grow with them and keep up with changing needs.

Learn more about Nextiva’s contact center solutions to see if they are the right fit for your organization. 👇