How to forecast in 4 simple ways

Why using Zendesk WFM’s Forecast feature is a must

• It highlights your trends over time
• It lets you check your gut feelings against real data
• It gives you an idea of where you are vs. where you should be
• It’s a launchpad for creating outstanding schedules
• It tells you, down to minute-level increments, how you should be staffing
• It shows you where and when your team needs help
• It provides a rough idea of the future, which will either give you an edge over your competition or put you on a level playing field with them

How to forecast manually

A few ways to simplify (a complicated) process

Remember, forecasting helps you plan with real information and not just guesses. So it’s setting you up for success, not telling you what to do with every minute of your agents’ days. Use it as a guide, and you’ll see how worthwhile Forecast can be in no time.

If you want to do it manually, follow these four simple steps:

1. Start now

   The more data you have logged, the more information your Forecast has to work with and make those predictions as accurate as possible. Your future self (and team) will thank you.

   You can use an automated call distributor system (or ACD), or you can have your agents log this themselves. You’ll want to determine the call volume and the call duration.

2. Look for recurring patterns

   If you have a dip in call traffic every Friday afternoon, make a note of it. Every Wednesday morning, do your social media chats catch on fire? Take note of that, too. If you have data going back a few years, you might even find specific weekends where things always get hectic—and maybe they’re not even where you’d expect them to be.

3. Take “destabilizing events” into account

   Remember, it’s called forecasting for a reason. This isn’t just about looking back, it’s about looking forward. So, if your company is going to launch a Super Bowl campaign or cut the price of your products in half, you’d expect an increase in call volume. Make sure your marketing and sales teams keep you in the loop so you can prepare for these events in advance.

   On the other hand, if you’re expanding your customer support services (adding a chatbot or a new social channel, for example), you must account for those new contacts, too. You’ll need extra hands on deck. Consider what those channels might look like and estimate how much of current traffic will reroute there and how much new traffic they might generate.

4. Accept the inevitable: This. Isn’t. Perfect.

   For all the work it involves, you’ll never know everything. You’ll never get staffing perfect every time. But you will get closer and closer as you go along. And in those golden days when everything runs smoothly, you’ll love it. The more you forecast, of course, the better balance you’ll have between smooth sailing and the odd stormy day.

   How to forecast effortlessly

   If you’re a Zendesk customer, you can set up Zendesk WFM in less than two minutes—the setup process is extremely simple. Once you’ve set it up, you can leverage all the data you’ve already logged in your Zendesk account to create accurate forecasts using our unique forecast feature.