Forecasting. Sounds like something only meteorologists do with clouds and wind. š¤ļø
But in a customer contact center, itās just as important. Without a good forecast, you might as well throw a dart at a schedule and hope it lands on the right spot. šÆ
In this blog, weāll explain what forecasting is, why itās crucial for customer contact, and why itās more than ājust looking at some numbers.ā
š What exactly is Forecasting?
Simply put, forecasting is predicting the customer contact volume ā how many calls, chats, emails, or other interactions you can expect in a given period.
That period can vary:
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š Long-term: How much capacity will we need this summer?
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š Medium-term: How many people should we schedule for next month?
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š Short-term / intraday: Can we adjust breaks or shifts today?
A good forecast is the starting point for planning, staffing, and even your service levels.
š§® How do you make a forecast?
A solid forecast comes from:
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Historical data: What happened this week last year? How many contacts were there on average? Was there a campaign running?
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Trends & seasonality: Are there yearly peaks? Does volume drop in the summer?
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External factors: Holidays, TV ads, price changes, new productsā¦ everything has an impact.
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Internal input: Marketing plans, system changes, staff turnover ā all of this counts too.
So, itās not an exact scienceābut itās certainly not guesswork either.
āļø Why is forecasting so important?
Without a reliable forecast, you risk:
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Understaffing ā long wait times, unhappy customers, overworked employees
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Overstaffing ā idle staff and unnecessary costs
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Planner stress ā ad hoc solutions are rarely efficient
A good forecast balances accessibility, customer satisfaction, and costs. And importantly: it keeps the floor calm.
No experience with forecasting yet?
Download our template below to get insight into your own forecast.
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š§ Forecasting is also human work
Even though tools like Teamlead help with automated forecasts, thereās always room for interpretation. A planner needs context:
āThis year the campaign is two weeks later.ā
āThe system was slow last month, so the AHT was higher.ā
āWeek 33 always has a lot of sick leave.ā
The planner isnāt obsolete. On the contrary: forecasting requires expertise.
š Forecasting in practice: Start with insight
At Teamlead, we believe forecasting should be accessible:
No complicated Excel monsters
No black-box algorithms you canāt explain
Yes: clear dashboards, smart suggestions, and space for manual adjustments
So planners can quickly fine-tune schedulesāand teams always know where they stand.
šÆ In summary:
Forecasting = predicting customer contact volume
Based on data, trends, context, and common sense
Essential for good planning and service
Smart forecasting = less stress, better accessibility, lower costs
Curious how we make forecasting simple and smart?
Send us a messageāweāll gladly show you. Or better yet: letās schedule a conversation. š
If you like, I can also make a snappier, more marketing-friendly version thatās perfect for LinkedIn or your website, keeping the emojis and humor for impact. Do you want me to do that?
