How to prepare for call center spikes.
Published on Thu May 15 2025
Updated on Fri Aug 08 2025
8 minute read
Spikes are generally bad. The same goes for customer service. Let's talk about how to handle them effectively to give your customers the experience they deserve.
What is a call center spike?
A call center spike is a sudden, significant increase in call volume. Spikes can be caused by a number of factors, including special promotions, unexpected customer service issues, or even the weather. Whatever the cause, spikes can be difficult to handle if you're not prepared. That's why it's important to have a peak management plan in place to deal with call center spikes. By being prepared, you can ensure that your call center is able to handle the increased volume without missing a beat.
When might you experience a call center spike?
Expected:
- New product releases or promotions.
- Announcement of important company or industry news.
- Holidays or seasonal events.
- Technical issues or errors.
- Natural disasters or socio-political events.
- PR emergencies or sudden product recalls
How can a call spike impact your business?
Call center spikes can have a significant impact on your business. If you're not prepared, they can lead to long wait times, frustrated customers, and abandoned calls. In addition, spikes can put a strain on your call center agents, leading to burnout and turnover.
The customer is always right.
70% of customers have switched brands due to a poor customer service experience (for example, long hold times) and 54% have made purchase decisions based on the quality of customer service according to the Zendesk CX trends report. This means that call center spikes can have a significant impact on customer experience. When callers are unable to reach a call center agent in a timely manner, they are likely to become frustrated and may even take their business elsewhere. And that’s something we definitely don’t want.
Avoiding burnout and turnover.
Your agents are your greatest asset, and without their commitment and performance, it will be difficult to handle not just call volume spikes, but daily operations in general. Many employees report feeling overwhelmed during such spikes and feel as though more can be done to ease the impact on their workflow.
In an industry where high turnover is already a challenge, there are many initiatives you can put in place to ensure that agents feel supported even during moments of additional pressure.
Lost business and opportunity.
Customer frustration, employee stress, and amidst it all… losing out on opportunities to connect with your consumer base and drive further business. Call center spikes, whether expected or not, can significantly impact KPIs not just in the moment, but for months to come.
Keep reading to find out how best to prepare for increased call volumes and go from wary to ready.
Our top tips for preparing for call center spikes.
From having extra staff on hand, using data to predict call volume spikes, to effective training of your teams, there’s a multitude of ways you can prepare for sudden increases in inbound calls. We’ve summarized them for you below.
- Call tracking and forecasting.
- Have extra staff on hand.
- Train your teams well.
- Use tech to ease the pressure.
- Consider using self-service.
- Activate remote agents
Call tracking and forecasting.
Call tracking is the process of monitoring, recording, and analyzing telephone calls made to and from a call center. This information can be used to improve call center operations and identify areas for improvement.
Call forecasting is the process of predicting future call volumes based on historical data. This information can be used to plan for call center staffing and ensure that agents are available when call volume is high.
Both call tracking and call forecasting can be useful tools for preparing for call center spikes. By understanding call patterns and volume, you can better plan for times of increased call volume and ensure that your call center is prepared to handle the spike.
Have extra staff on hand.
When a spike occurs, you're going to need all hands on deck. Have a plan in place for bringing in extra staff, whether that means calling in reinforcements from other departments or hiring temporary workers.
By analyzing data from call forecasting and working closely with other departments such as recruitment and HR, you can ensure that everyone in your organization is aware and prepared for any necessary ramp ups before a call volume spike.
The role of data.
Data can be a valuable tool for preparing an effective peak management plan. By analyzing call data, you can identify patterns and trends that can help you to predict when call volume will increase. This information can be used to plan for call center staffing and ensure that agents are available when call volume is high. In addition, data can help you to identify call center bottlenecks and areas for improvement. By understanding where calls are getting stuck, you can make changes to your call center operations that can help to reduce call volume during spikes.
Keep your employees happy.
Keeping your employees happy during call center spikes is crucial, as this is a stressful time for them as well. Here are some tips for managing call center staff during spikes:
- Make sure that call center agents are adequately compensated for their overtime hours.
- Provide employees with breaks during long shifts.
- Offer incentives or bonuses to those who perform well during spikes.
- Give agents the opportunity to take vacation days or personal days during call center spikes.
- Train call center managers on how to effectively manage call center staff during spikes.
- Have a plan in place for employees who call in sick or are otherwise unable to work during a call center spike.
In conclusion.
Call center spikes can present a multitude of obstacles to overcome for even the most experienced providers. They can be planned or unexpected, but regardless of their cause, it’s crucial to know how best to prepare for the challenges they bring. With these top tips, you can turn this thorn in your side into a mild distraction.
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