Name:Janice Nance
Email: Janice_Nance@dca.ca.gov
Department: Department of Consumer Affairs, Consumer Community Empowerment Division, Consumer Information Center – Call Center
Areas: Customer Service
Idea/Initiative Name: To improve customer service and Call Center performance
Background:
The Consumer Information Center (CIC), Call Center operations was established in 1994. It is operated by the Consumer Community Empowerment Division of the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA). The CIC Call Center is an information resource for California consumers. The Call Center manages the Department’s toll-free number, (800) 952-5210. The Call Center staff is able to provide consumer assistance in over 170 languages.
To protect and serve consumers, the Department issues licenses in more than 100 business and 200 professional categories, including doctors, dentists, contractors, cosmetologists and automotive repair facilities. The Department of Consumer Affairs includes 40 regulatory entities. These entities establish minimum qualifications and levels of competency for licensure. They also license, register, or certify practitioners, investigate complaints and discipline violators.
Consumers and others who have questions about professional licenses and registrations issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs use the toll-free number to inquire about the licensing process, or for verification of licensure or registration. The Call Center staff answers general questions about applications and renewals; verifies licensure or registration; and provides complaint forms and copies of consumer publications. Staff also answers inquiries from consumers, consumer groups, professional organizations, and other government agencies on topics outside the jurisdiction of the Department. Call Center staff help find the right government agency to assist with a consumer’s problem. They also help to identify options that consumers may not have yet considered.
Problem: The Call Center is supported by 19 full-time telephone agents, four part-time agents, and five retired annuitants. Eight technical resource staff members are available to assist on the more complex consumer inquiries.
During Fiscal Year 2005-06 the Call Center received over 1 million consumer calls. The average time consumers spent in the holding queue exceeded 2 minutes. More than 15 percent of the callers abandoned their call prior to speaking with a telephone agent. Approximately 1.27 percent of the incoming callers waited more than 10 minutes to speak with an agent.
During Fiscal Year 2005-06, the Call Center experienced a vacancy rate of 16 percent among full-time telephone agent staff. Qualified applicants were not applying to fill the advertised vacancies.
Chronic absenteeism among the full and part-time staff reflected a high level of job dissatisfaction in the Call Center. The average number of agents working each day dropped to a low of 9 personnel. Low employee morale was prevalent.
Finding a Solution: In an effort to improve customer service and Call Center performance, the CIC implemented several strategies during the 2006-07 Fiscal Year. These strategies focused on employee turnover, training, mentoring, and providing program involvement opportunities to the telephone agent staff.
Since its inception, the CIC consistently experienced employee turnover, which is not uncommon in call centers. In addition, the Call Center experienced a drop in staffing levels when the Department moved to its new location from downtown Sacramento to the Natomas location in December 2005. During conversations with agent staff, CIC determined that there was a high level of job dissatisfaction and low employee morale. The agents felt they did not have a career future. There were limited opportunities for advancement within the Call Center. The agents also felt that they did not have any input in managing their job performance. There were perceptions of inequities in the training program. They saw that training opportunities were consistently afforded to administrative staff and their requests for training went unanswered.
CIC management team listened to the agents’ concerns. Within the first four months of 2007, all agent vacancies were filled.
The CIC Academy program coordinator formalized the training program by scheduling two six-week sessions of classes, one session in the spring and one session in the fall. Technical resource staff participated in the training program by developing class outlines and syllabi. They also provided classroom instruction. The training coordinator implemented a Speaker Series and invited representatives of DCA’s Boards, Bureaus and programs to present four hours of instruction on their respective programs.
CIC implemented a mentor program. Through the mentor program, the technical resource staff provided immediate assistance on calls that would ordinarily be transferred to the Help Desk holding queue.
Call Center supervisors were scheduled floor time and performed consistent employee coaching. The supervisors were readily available to take escalated consumer calls. The supervisors updated the lunch schedules to ensure adequate staffing during peak calling times. They assigned subject matter experts to the various holding queues.
The Call Center manager monitored the daily attendance and statistics. Periodic notifications were made to the agent staff and DCA Executive management acknowledging good attendance, reduced wait times and abandoned rates, and number of times callers remained in a holding queue that exceeded 10 minutes. The manager attended weekly staff meetings, listened to agents’ concerns and engaged all staff in proactive Call Center performance discussions and problem resolution. The Call Center manager encouraged each agent to become familiar with the DCA Upward Mobility Program by scheduling appointments with the Call Center liaison.
Results: At the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2006-07, the following results were achieved:
- The average time callers remained in a holding queue went from over 2 minutes to less than 1 minute. The agents sustained this level of performance for the entire fiscal year.
- The abandoned call rate dropped from over 15 percent to under 7 percent.
- Approximately .24 percent of the incoming callers waited more than 10 minutes to speak with an agent, down from 1.27 percent the previous year.
- Agents were acknowledged for their improved performance. Throughout the Fiscal Year, agent staff received consumer accolades for the service provided. In December 2007, the Call Center agent staff received a Superior Accomplishment Team Award for sustained performance in maintaining an average answering wait time of less than 1 minute for the Fiscal Year.
- The Call Center maintained full staffing. Unplanned absences decreased. The average number of agents working each day went from 9 to 11.
- The Call Center established a mentor program.
- The Call Center training program was formalized. Agents were actively involved in developing class outlines and syllabi and were provided classroom instruction.
- A Speaker Series program was developed.
- The Call Center agent staff was active participants in Call Center operations and maintained a quality work environment. Morale increased.
- Management and supervision engaged in interactive discussions with agent staff regarding the importance of providing enhanced consumer service. The agent staff felt a sense of empowerment in the decision making processes of the Call Center operations.