Devoted to the call center industry, the agents on the phones, and their managers

Too many calls are on queue.  Everyone is expected to take in calls even supervisors.  Seasonal call center agents are hired.  This is a typical scenario for a center when it expects a spike in call volume.  But, this is not always a surprise for anyone who has worked long enough in a call center.

We are all too familiar with seasonal spikes.  Christmas is fast approaching, so expect more calls to come in especially for those who handle customer orders.  Sports also come into the picture.  The baseball or football season is a major factor for spikes as well.  Summer is another.

There are others that may not be seasonal.

Websites not offering FAQs (or sometimes it's too small one can't find it) or providing answers for basic questions for online consumers will notice a spike in their call center's volume.  Some examples would be when the site has been revamped which means looking for the links that was there before was either moved, changed or removed.   If a website offers a service online that is down expect more calls to come in.

Another is when a company offers a new product or service.   Customers that might have picked up a brochure will call to get more information and perhaps order.  A product that is being recalled is one more.

It is suggested to list down all possible situations that will spike up the call volume.  This will help you forecast your calls and answer most, if not all the calls that come in.