Tips to Prepare for High Call Volumes

Surges in call volume can happen for various reasons. Whether you experience seasonal surges, event-related ones, or just the random volume of excess callers, it can put extra stress on your phone staff. Here are some tips to help you prepare your business for high call volumes.

Forecast spikes

Using data from previous months, try to forecast certain times of the week, month, or year that you are likely to see a surge in call volume. This can be tricky and isn’t always accurate–you may have more or fewer calls than you plan for–but it will help your staff feel more prepared. If you know that there will be times when call volume will rise, you can make sure you have plenty of staff on hand to respond.

Use temporary staff

Having a ‘backup team’ can be particularly useful during times of heavy call volume. You can train members from other departments or use actual temps from an agency, but make sure they are adequately trained to provide the service your regular customers expect.

Keep morale high

Excessive calls can take a toll on your staff. Make sure that you do all you can to support them by providing the tools they need to do their jobs quickly and efficiently. Keep morale high by rewarding staff for doing a good job. Bring in lunch for the team or give gift cards to your staff as a thank you for handling the extra workload.

Consider outsourcing

Using a call centre could be a viable option if you expect a high volume of calls but won’t be able to provide adequate staff to answer them in a timely manner. Because of their efficiency and ability to handle high volumes, this may be an option you consider for regular use, too. You may be able to arrange for a call centre to take on ‘spillover’ calls during unexpected bursts of call volume, or you may opt to use them as backup at pre-scheduled times.

High call volumes could be great for business, but only if they calls are handled quickly and efficiently. If you’d like more information about how a call centre might help your business, visit or call Answer 365 today.