Call Center Operations Dyana Bogan

Rhode Island’s Call Center Operations Operational Struggles Plan for Improvement Results

Operational Struggles Insufficient Staffing Training Needs Lack of Support Conflicting Priorities Poor Planning

Insufficient Staffing Call Center staffing has consistently decreased over the last few years 2013 average staffing level = 60 2014 average staffing level = 48 2015 average staffing level = 42 2016 average staffing level = 38 Turnover is high in the UI Call Center The interviewer position is an entry level job New positions are posted as part time but staff work full time

Training Needs Staff lacked the resources they needed to do the job on their own Staff were dependent on management for help with claims Training tools and memos were underutilized Turnover Vacancies are created Extensive training is needed for new staff Management resources are depleted

Lack Of Support Human Resources IT No performance and attendance policies When attendance and performance were poor Management had little guidance Staff, management, and union relationships suffered IT The AS400 is a legacy system Updates and maintenance are required

Conflicting Priorities Hierarchy Call Center reports to Administrative Benefits Administrative Benefits reports to Executive Office Executive Office reports to Governor’s Office Priorities Administrative Benefits considers USDOL standards and customer service for all claimants Executive Office understands Administrative Benefits needs but must consider governor Governor’s Office reports to a portion of the unemployed public therefore views on operational issues and what needs attention is sometimes skewed

Poor Planning Workload Management Oversight Influx in work due to the on and off extensions made it difficult to predict future peak periods and needs Front line managers lacked understanding of their programs and it’s workload Management Oversight Call Center and CAU were managed by different people Work that could be easily transferable between units was not identified due to conflicting priorities between managers

Plan For Improvement Identify your workload and performance goals Plan for the future Balance your priorities Get Lean Motivate Ask for support

Identify Your Workload Reports and Analysis Create and maintain daily reports Compare one peak season to the next to identify influx in workload Counts Programs should be well organized and managed Know the incoming and outgoing numbers to help track performance and identify issues Weekly Work Assessments Meet to discuss the numbers Key Performance Indicators Know data for your performance metrics before its too late to improve

Plan For The Future Training Tools Crosstrain Prepare for your peaks Online Resources Crosstrain Avoid silos of knowledge Staff are best utilized when their skills are flexible Prepare for your peaks Workload increases should be planned Plans to handle the influx need to be outlined in advance Allocate staff accordingly Put less important projects aside Have an “all hands on deck” approach

Balance Priorities Discuss the goals Communicate the objective Conflicting priorities create confusion Have open discussions and come to an agreement on what is important Communicate the objective Managers and staff must be aware of priorities in order to help achieve goals

Get Lean Reorganize your work week Review processes Identify how to complete your goals efficiently Review processes Eliminate unnecessary steps Update outdated procedures Utilize IT resources to update system inefficiencies

Motivate Staff suggestion box Bi-weekly team meetings Anonymous Survey Consistent feedback on what's working and what's not Bi-weekly team meetings Develops a team based environment Builds management and staff relationships Anonymous Survey Gives you a “feel” for what employees are struggling with and what matters to them Helps improve relationships Reward hard work Certificates of appreciation can be personalized Events to show appreciation for staff can boost morale and productivity

Ask For Support HR Improvements IT Help Access to HR personnel Greater guidance for issues Quick response for action needed IT Help Monthly meetings on outstanding projects Quicker response to needs

Results Performance Prior to Plan for Improvement: High call wait times Unmanageable internet claim load Failing 1st payment Performance After Plan for Improvement Wait times below 20 minutes Manageable internet claim load Meeting performance expectations

Historical Data Internal Performance Measurements Call Wait Times Pending Internet Claims

Historical Data Department of Labor Performance Measure Timely Payments 1st payments made within 14 days Acceptable level of performance = 87%

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