Call Center Staffing: The Ultimate Guide to Determining How Many Agents You Need

Medical call centers are responsible for connecting patients with medical professionals, managing the data associated with their visits, and ensuring quality customer service. Having enough staff to meet customer needs efficiently and effectively is essential.

Read more: Tips for Improving Customer Service in a Healthcare Call Center.

But how do you calculate the number of agents that are needed? This guide will help determine your organization’s optimal call center staffing levels.

Factors That Affect Medical Call Center Staffing

Several factors should be considered when determining how many staff members you need in your medical call center. These include:

1) Hours of Operation:

You should first consider the hours of operation for your medical call center. This will determine how many staff you need to cover the various shifts and ensure someone is always available to answer calls during business hours.

2) Volume of Calls:

It is essential to accurately gauge how many calls you expect to receive daily, weekly, and monthly. This will allow you to calculate the average call duration and determine how many staff members are needed to handle these calls promptly.

3) Holidays/Special Events:

Your call volume may increase significantly during holidays or special events, resulting in a higher demand for staffing resources. You should take this into account when calculating your call center staffing needs.

4) Call Types:

Different call types require expertise and resources. If you receive calls related to complex medical issues, more experienced staff members may be needed to handle these calls adequately.

5) Additional Services:

Many medical call centers provide appointment bookings, insurance verification, and prescription refills. This would require additional staff to handle these tasks.

What Is the Erlang C Staffing Model?

The Erlang C staffing model is a tried and trusted method of determining the number of agents required to handle calls in a call center. It helps ensure that your medical call center is adequately staffed so incoming calls are handled quickly and efficiently. The Erlang C model considers average call duration, expected traffic volume, and service levels.

Here’s how this model works:

Firstly, the Erlang C model calculates how many calls your medical call center can handle simultaneously. This is based on the time it takes for an agent to answer a call and the number of agents available at any given moment. The formula takes into account periods of high incoming call volume as well as lower-than-normal call volume.

The model also looks at the number of agents required to meet customer service level goals. For example, if your goal is to answer 90% of all incoming calls within 10 seconds, then the Erlang C model will calculate how many agents you need and when they need to be available to reach that goal.

Finally, the Erlang C model helps you to plan for unexpected periods of high call volume. It can help you determine how many extra agents need to be available to handle an influx of incoming calls and when they should be ready to start taking calls.

Understanding your customer demand, peak hours, and call distribution is vital when calculating how many agents you need for your medical call center. Call Sequence Health to avail the best medical call center services. We offer different strategies to ensure the right amount of staff is ready to answer incoming calls in a timely and efficient manner.