How Government Agencies Are Building Better Call Centers

The image of calling a government agency only to be left on hold

, talk to computerized systems, or reach some bored employee who doesn't really care about the caller is a thing of the past. Government entities from local law enforcement to the Internal Revenue Service are redesigning their call centers to give better service by using the latest technology including advanced call center analytics and electronic reader boards.

People Want More From The Government

The public has decided it will no longer tolerate poor customer service from their government agencies. People are demanding shorter hold times, more responsive agents, and faster resolution of their problems.

This change in attitude has been driven in a large part by the private sector. Companies have slowly come to realize that customer service is an essential part of building loyalty in their clients. Revolutionary changes in information technology have led to call center management tools that would have been impossible a decade ago. As people have gotten better service in the private sector, they have expected an equivalent change from public officials.

There has also been pressure to change from stressed out government workers. Working in an inefficient call center is difficult as callers take their frustrations out on the agents.

Balancing Efficiency With Shrinking Budgets

One reason the government has historically been so slow to emphasize customer service is the belief that it is a luxury. With taxpayers and government oversight committees looking over their shoulders, public managers feel they need to spend money wisely. Cutting edge call centers were seen as a frivolous expense and often at the bottom of the list of priorities.

Today's public organizations know they must provide exceptional service, just like private companies, but also face criticism of wasteful spending from the same agencies demanding better service. They must find ways to make their call centers run more efficiently while also saving money and not wasting taxpayer dollars. The latest generation of information technology has made this a reality. Easy access to computer software and fast computer networks allows call center management tools to be affordably deployed.

The Latest Call Center Management Systems

The line between phone systems and computer systems has become blurred, and with technologies like VoIP, the line has completely disappeared. No longer are expensive tools needed to generate meaningful call center statistics. Software automatically gathers information on caller volume and agent response and displays the information in real time on electronic reader boards.

All agents can view highly-visible electronic reader boards to see how the call center is functioning so they can adjust their activities accordingly. The data is updated in real time so the information is always current. The latest generation of electronic reader boards use PoE (Power over Ethernet) so are cheaper to install and use less energy than previous models.

Modern call center management tools have made government call centers better experiences for callers and agents alike.

by: Christine Harrell

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