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Call center staffing calculator
Work out how many agents you need on the phones or chat for a given volume and service level.
Breaks, training, absence, meetings
Above 85-90 percent burns people out
Erlang C assumes callers wait however long it takes. It is a planning estimate, not a guarantee, and works best for voice and live chat. Email and tickets are staffed on throughput instead.
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Talk to WEBSHow to use it
- Enter how many contacts arrive in a busy hour and your average handle time.
- Set your service level goal, such as 80 percent answered in 20 seconds.
- Read the agents needed on the line and the number to schedule after shrinkage.
Common questions
What is Erlang C?
A queueing formula that estimates how many agents are needed so that a target share of contacts is answered within a target time, based on volume and handle time.
What is shrinkage?
The share of paid time agents are not available: breaks, training, meetings, sick time and vacation. The schedule has to cover it.
What is a good service level?
80/20 (80 percent answered in 20 seconds) is a common phone target. Choose one that fits your customers and budget.