Back in 2000, customers would not have let poor service slide. They would have related the story to the friends and family they speak to over the next few days. Negative feedback could extend to dozens of people.

Today, customers have new avenues to vent frustration, and what better way to pass the time listening to your hold music than tweeting about their negative experience! Now the potential impact to your brand could extend to hundreds, thousands, possibly tens of thousands of people.

The stakes have definitely increased. Has your workforce planning kept up?

Here are some tips on how great workforce planning can protect your brand.

Make sure you’ve got the best workforce planning capability

This doesn’t mean the most expensive WFM application. Even the best application is only as good as the people using it. Get highly skilled people and ensure their processes are comprehensive and effective.

Maintain consistency of your grade of service

Your big social media influencers could call at any time. This means any bad interval could produce a storm of negative publicity. Make sure you are scheduling your agents to even out your net staffing (Scheduled minus Forecast).

Have contingency plans

Make sure you have thought through your response to long wait times before they occur. This speeds the response, and the faster the response, the fewer irate customers.

Understand the risks and impacts

Even before the queue appears you should understand the possible impacts. When you know something has occurred that will impact contact volumes, get on the front foot. It’s easier to maintain a GOS than try to rescue a poor one.

The increasing ability of customers, through social media, to interact and share information means that service standards will become increasingly public, whether we want it or not.

Great workforce planning supports improved risk management to protect your brand. Can you afford not to have the best?