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Help Desk/Call Center Staffing

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by dckane

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We are investigating the use of our internal Help Desk to support external users of a new web-based service offering. I am familiar with staffing levels for internal Help Desks, as that's what I've done for years.

I know the snswers will ultimately be "it depends", but I really need a benchmark number to start from, then we can factor in all of the variables. My boss, the VP of IT, is simply doing some due diligence around the concept of offering this support model. Before we move forward with creating a business case, we want to get a general idea of how companies staff for this type of model.

I'm looking for some general numbers around Help Desk staffing ratios for a web-based service offering The service will have user authentication, multimedia content, and interaction back and forth with non-technical staff. For a web-based system like this, how are different companies staffing, say for every 100 users?

Any thoughts? Please don't respond if all you have to offer is the "it depends" response with no detail. I know it depends on a LOT of factors, and I intend to account for as many of those factors as possible. I'm just looking for resources regarding a starting point.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

7 replies

by jmgarvin

1) In most shops staffing is usually 1:500ish (at best...sometimes it is more in the realm of 1:1000)
2) What web based services are you looking at? Are you setting up an ebusiness? Is this going to be online training?
3) How and where do you authenticate? Will you be authenticating people through the web service?
4) What kind of multimedia content? Will it be downloadable, viewable online, both?
5) How many servers are we talking about? Why type? Are they public or intranet only?
6) Is there any external content? Is there external entry?

I'm having a little problem wrapping my brain around this because I need a clearer picture.

I hope that helps a little...

by dckane

Thanks for the thoughts. I'll do my best to answer some of your questions.

2) What web based services are you looking at? Are you setting up an ebusiness? Is this going to be online training?

The site is already in beta use, and we have a dedicated staff for usage support. The site really functions as an online self-help application, with surveys and content that is dynamic based on how the surveys are answered. There are "training" modules, but they are not technical at all. The existing staff is there to help registered site users with managing and using the content. My side of things pertains specifically to supporting technical issues and problems with the site, including how the user's PC and browser are configured. However, I want to anticipate that my group would still be involved in initial triage for the site usage issues.

3) How and where do you authenticate? Will you be authenticating people through the web service?

We have an existing site authentication model that is being used for the new application as well. Based on the ID at the time of site login, you will either get our standard existing content (e-commerce and information about the business), or the existing content with the new application added on. I don't expect that the new application will complicate authentication any more than the current status.

4) What kind of multimedia content? Will it be downloadable, viewable online, both?

Multimedia is mostly Flash and shockwave, which will autoplay on the appropriate pages. It is not downloadable.

5) How many servers are we talking about? Why type? Are they public or intranet only?
6) Is there any external content? Is there external entry?

All content for the new system is hosted externally, and is available via the Internet, based on the authentication model.

by tig2

You mention that in your beta cycle you have a dedicated staff. Have you been able to take your beta experience and establish metrics from it? It would seem that you have the appropriate data already.

Assume your beta model is 1 Support Specialist to 100 end users and your current load is 500 end users, obviously 5 Support Specialists. You have discovered that these 5 people routinely have 20% downtime. Your go-live model would be 4 Support Specialists (dedicated) per 500 end users.

As you are dealing with a go-live scenario, I would consider the "holy moley" factor- and assign that 5th Support Specialist to cover in the event of call flooding. Since you tend to only see increased call volume at implementation- when the product is very new and/or end users are unfamiliar with it.

Of course the usual disclaimers here- your mileage may vary...

Hope this is helpful to you!

by shannyhanm

I don't believe there are any industry standards for the very reason you asked for folks not to respond. It *does* depend on the factors and without those it is hard to make the appropriate estimate.

For example:

Accounts Administration or Registration (are accounts needed, how are they maintained)
Self-help available for pw resets?

Those are just a couple of questions that can determine the estimate.

Just to start ... I really don't think you are gonna get much of a response. So you might as well go with your guess of 100 Customers per agent. It is as good as any.

my 2 cents

by kim.sears

What would the ratio be if your help desk techs are also the desktop support techs? We support about 275 users but all are technical

by mattygroves

Hi Kim,
Are you looking at expanding your team or assesing how many you need for your current situation?

Kind Regards

Matt

PS. I used to work for a Kim Sears in Northern Kentucky. Would that be you?

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