Call Center Assessment for a Municipal Water Department
Client Background
A municipal water department was struggling to deliver the level of service its customers deserved. To address these challenges, they hired Turnkey Solutions' team of experts to conduct a thorough assessment of their operations and provide recommendations for improvement.
The Challenges
Several challenges hindered the water department's ability to deliver the level of service its customers deserved.
- The 311 Call Center was unable to accurately track the volume of incoming calls for the water department.
- Not all representatives were equipped to handle complex billing calls, which frustrated customers.
- Duplicate entry of information was a persistent problem, as systems were not fully integrated.
- The most pressing issue was the attrition of call center representatives due to COVID-19, resulting in longer wait times and delays in resolving customer issues.
Turnkey's Response
Turnkey Solutions took a comprehensive approach by conducting a thorough assessment of the current situation. The team analyzed analytics reports from the 311 Call Center, conducted interviews, surveys, and focus groups with 311 personnel, and researched best practices from 25 cities across the U.S.
Turnkey staff also analyzed the IVR system and how calls were currently routed, as well as staffing requirements and software platforms and tools.
After careful analysis, Turnkey Solutions recommended a pilot call center to address the department's customer service issues. To minimize the impact on other areas of the department, the pilot was staffed with two teams, allowing personnel to work their regular jobs part-time while the pilot was in session. The team also recommended dashboards and reports to track progress and ensure success.
The Impact
By partnering with Turnkey Solutions, the Water Department was able to address the challenges it faced and improve its customer service. Turnkey's innovative solutions and expert recommendations resulted in shorter wait times, improved communication, and quicker resolution of customer issues.
The pilot call center was a resounding success. The Water Department was not only able to provide better service to their customers — generating increased customer satisfaction and loyalty — but was also recognized for the achievement.
Turnkey Solutions was glad to provide strategic planning and customized solutions for the client to address their complex business and customer experience challenges.
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Turnkey helps government agencies assess, redesign, and improve their customer contact operations — from staffing and routing to technology and training.