A call center uses simulation to drive strategic change

A large, customer-focused software company relied on simulation modeling of its call center operations in launching a new fee-based technical-support program. Prior to launching this rapid program, call center managers were c oncerned about the difficulty of meeting a proposed guarantee to paying cus tomers that they would wait less than one minute on hold. Managers also wan ted to know how the new program would affect the service provided to their existing base of regular, nonpaying customers. We quickly developed an anim ated simulation model that addressed these concerns and gave the managers a good understanding for the impact on system performance of changes in the number of customers purchasing the rapid program and in the number of agent s. The one-minute guarantee would be fairly easy to achieve, even if the pe rcentage of callers in the rapid program became quite high. Managers also g ained confidence that, with appropriate staffing levels, they could success fully implement the new program, which they soon did.