Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
St. Louis County Unveils 311 Call Center
It’s important to educate yourself of government. I don’t just mean who’s sitting in the White House or what party controls the capitol. On a local level it’s critical to keep in tune with local government, from what your Mayor has in store, to what the state legislature has in the works. Much like call centers in big business, municipal contact centers exist to engage and educate.
This week, St. Louis County residents got something to be excited about – a new call center. The 311 call center is open Monday through Friday from 8am until 5pm. The 500 daily calls surely keeps the staff of five agents busy, putting extra pressure on forecasting and scheduling practices.
From a scheduling perspective, the busiest time of day is between 11am and 1pm. The contact center notes an average hold time of 30 seconds for each caller, which is likely assisted by the free to download “Gateway (News - Alert) 311” app that provides answers to the 2,000 most common questions and enables citizens the ability to report local issues like downed trees or potholes.
The agents are in place to answer any and all questions from citizens, government related that is, and only county residents can access the service. In the past, citizens were confused about where to go with these types of concerns or questions, as there are 88 municipalities in St. Louis County with nearly 500 phone numbers for various offices.
“It’s mesmerizing for citizens to think about 'Where do I start my search and which phone number connects to the department that’s going to get me the right person to answer my question?" said 311 Call Center general manager Mike Hoffey.
While Hoffey and many citizens are excited about the new 311 call center, there is certainly a strong dissenting opinion. “It’s a waste of my tax dollars if you ask me," said James Boatwright. "Why can't you call what department you needed to would be my question?” It seems as though Boatwright never enjoyed the pleasure of attempting to contact the right person in a sea of hundreds – literally – of phone numbers.
The new call center should serve St. Louis County well, and as long as it keeps staffing numbers on point and paired with the Gateway 311 app, the results should be quite satisfying for agents and citizens.
Edited by Maurice Nagle