Ticket Volume Forecaster
Forecast future support ticket volume from historical data
Converge Team
Historical Data
Enter monthly ticket volumes (most recent last).
Forecast
Ticket volume forecasting predicts how many support requests your team will handle in coming months, enabling proactive staffing and budgeting decisions. Without forecasting, teams are perpetually reactive — understaffed during spikes and overstaffed during lulls. Combine forecasts with your cost per ticket to project future budget needs.
According to HDI research, 67% of support organizations report being understaffed at least part of the year. The cost of being understaffed is high: response times increase, CSAT drops, and agent burnout leads to turnover. Forrester estimates that replacing a support agent costs 50-75% of their annual salary.
The relationship between customer growth and ticket growth is not linear. Zendesk's analysis of 45,000 companies shows that ticket volume typically grows at 60-80% of the customer growth rate, as self-service and product improvements absorb some of the additional load. However, product launches and seasonal events create predictable spikes that must be staffed for.
This forecaster uses linear regression on your historical monthly data to project future volumes. Enter at least 3 months of data for a reasonable estimate. The more historical data you provide, the more accurate the projection.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter monthly volumes: Input your ticket count for each recent month. More data points = better forecast.
- Set forecast period: Choose how many months ahead to forecast (1-6 months recommended).
- Enter tickets per agent: Your team's capacity per agent per month (default: 500).
- Review forecast: See projected volumes and recommended team size.
Pro Tips
- Use at least 6 months of data: Three months gives a rough trend, six months captures seasonal patterns, twelve months is ideal.
- Account for known events: Product launches, holiday seasons, and marketing campaigns create predictable spikes. Add 20-30% buffer for planned events.
- Hire ahead of the curve: New agents take 2-3 months to reach full productivity. Start hiring when your forecast shows you'll need them in 3 months.
- Track forecast accuracy: Compare your forecast to actual volume each month. Adjust your model based on the variance.