Contact Center Solutions Featured Article

Proper call center management has a tremendous impact on the success of the center. Finding the right balance in the span of control can be the biggest challenge. In a tight span, or a low number of agents per supervisor, the center can experience a hierarchical environment. By comparison, a loose span of control, or a large number of agents per supervisor, can create a flat organization.

 

There are certainly benefits to both situations. For instance, in a call center with a tight span of control, there is often a stronger quality monitoring program, one on one supervisor is more common, customer service is under better control, reporting is improved and procedure and policies are clearly defined.

 

The loose span of control environment offers its own benefits. The organization can experience a streamlined information flow, customer service representatives are empowered to make decisions that impact the customer as well as take ownership of calls and overhead costs are reduced.

 

As beneficial as each option may sound, each one also has its drawbacks. The call center with a tight span of control creating a multi-layered organization that can inhibit the sharing of information. This type of call center also tends to have less flexibility, supervisors who micro-manage and higher overhead costs.

 

The call center with a looser span of control runs the risk of poor call quality when customer service representatives are not provided with the resources, tools, direction or expertise to address customer issues. Beyond the quality issue, supervisors can experience higher stress levels due to heavier workloads, performance levels are not reported as often as needed to be efficient, one-on-one feedback can be sparse and training costs can be higher.

 

With a better overall picture of what each type of call center control level presents, where is the correct level for optimum performance and success? According to a Call Center Study conducted by Prosci Research, span of control ranges from 16:1 to 8:1 depending upon the industry and the type of call center.

 

Deciding which level is right for your call center will depend greatly upon the benchmark results within your industry as the type of call center and management practices within the center greatly impact its span of control. And, consider the entire picture when deciding the right span for your call center. Moving the span of control from tight to loose could save the organization money, but may cost the organization customers. Instead, look for the best balance that addresses the needs of both the center and its customers.

 

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