In many SaaS customer support departments, one sentence becomes painfully common:
“We are short-staffed.”
If you are a Support Manager, Head of Customer Success, or Founder, hearing this every single day can be exhausting. More importantly, it is a warning sign. When agents repeatedly say we are short-staffed, it usually means the problem is not just headcount — it is planning, processes, tools, or expectations.
This blog explains what to do when support agents say we are short-staffed every day, using a real-world style example of a SaaS customer support department. We will break down the root causes, what not to do, and practical steps you can take to fix the issue sustainably.
Why Support Agents Say “We Are Short-Staffed” Every Day
Before jumping to hiring, it’s critical to understand why agents feel short-staffed.
In a typical SaaS customer support department, the reasons usually fall into five buckets:
- Ticket volume is higher than forecasted
- Too many channels with the same number of agents
- Manual and repetitive work eats up agent time
- Poor workforce planning and shift coverage
- Lack of clarity on priorities
When leaders ignore these signals, the phrase what to do when support agents say we are short-staffed every day turns into a recurring crisis rather than a solvable problem.
A SaaS Customer Support Example
Let’s take an example of a mid-sized SaaS company offering an event ticketing platform.
- Customers: Event organizers across the US and UK
- Support Channels: Email, Chat, Phone
- Support Hours: 24×7 coverage
- Team Size: 8 agents
On paper, 8 agents seem sufficient. But every day, agents complain:
“We are short-staffed. Chats are piling up, emails are delayed, and customers are unhappy.”
Leadership initially assumed the solution was simple — hire more agents. But after a deeper review, they realized the real issue was operational inefficiency.
This is a classic situation where leaders must ask: what to do when support agents say we are short-staffed every day, instead of reacting emotionally.
Step 1: Validate the Problem With Data
The first thing to do when support agents say we are short-staffed every day is validate the claim with data.
Key metrics to review:
- Tickets per agent per day
- Average Handle Time (AHT)
- Chat concurrency
- Peak hour ticket inflow
- Backlog trends
In our SaaS example, data showed:
- 40% of tickets were coming during just 6 peak hours
- Agents were handling the same questions repeatedly
- Chat AHT was inflated due to multitasking without limits
This proved that the problem wasn’t laziness or lack of effort — it was poor load distribution.
Step 2: Fix Staffing Perception Before Fixing Headcount
One of the most overlooked answers to what to do when support agents say we are short-staffed every day is addressing perception.
In the SaaS team:
- Agents were covering email, chat, and phone simultaneously
- No clear priority rules existed
- Every issue felt urgent
Leadership implemented:
- Dedicated shifts for chat vs email
- Clear SLA-based priority tagging
- Chat concurrency limits
Within two weeks, agents felt less short-staffed — without hiring a single person.
Step 3: Reduce Ticket Volume, Not Just Response Time
If you only focus on faster replies, agents will always say they are short-staffed.
A smarter approach to what to do when support agents say we are short-staffed every day is to reduce avoidable tickets.
In the SaaS example:
- 25% of tickets were basic “how-to” questions
- 15% were payment status queries
Actions taken:
- Improved in-app help articles
- Automated payment confirmation emails
- Macros for repetitive responses
Result: Ticket volume dropped by nearly 30%, instantly easing staffing pressure.
Step 4: Improve Workforce Planning
Many SaaS support teams are technically not short-staffed — they are poorly scheduled.
In our example:
- Too many agents worked low-volume hours
- Peak US hours were under-covered
Once shifts were aligned to demand, the daily complaint that we are short-staffed reduced significantly.
If you are wondering what to do when support agents say we are short-staffed every day, start by aligning people to demand, not convenience.
Step 5: Upskill Agents to Handle More With Confidence
Another hidden reason agents feel short-staffed is skill gaps.
When agents:
- Lack of product confidence
- Escalate simple issues
- Spending too long investigating
They feel overwhelmed.
In the SaaS support department:
- Weekly product refresh sessions were introduced
- A searchable internal knowledge base was created
- Escalation guidelines were clarified
This reduced dependency on senior agents and improved overall throughput.
Step 6: Know When Hiring Is Actually Needed
After fixing process, tooling, and planning, hiring becomes a data-backed decision, not a reaction.
In the SaaS example, leadership hired 2 additional agents — but only after optimizing operations.
This is the final answer to what to do when support agents say we are short-staffed every day: hire only when inefficiencies are removed and demand truly exceeds capacity.
What Not to Do
When support agents say we are short-staffed every day, avoid these mistakes:
- Dismissing the complaint without data
- Hiring immediately without fixing root causes
- Expecting agents to “just manage.”
- Adding more channels without more capacity
These actions only delay the problem.
Take the Next Step in Your Leadership Journey
At The Customer Support School (TCSS), we’ve created a complete certification program designed to manage your staff effectively.
Customer Support Team Leader Certification – TCSS
You’ll learn how to:
- Manage support KPIs effectively
- Coach team members with confidence
- Run impactful team rituals
- Transition smoothly from agent to leader
- Set goals, deliver feedback, and build trust
Prefer learning at your own pace?
You can also take the Udemy version of this course, perfect for self-paced learners: Support Team Leader Mastery Bestseller Course on Udemy.
It’s packed with real-world examples, leadership templates, and proven coaching frameworks.Remember:
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.” Ready to lead with clarity, confidence, and capability?
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