Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
School Districts Attempt to Mitigate Bus Transportation Chaos with Call Centers
The strain on call centers all over the world has escalated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it’s citizens looking for COVID testing and vaccinations, entertainment and travel companies coping with landslides of cancellations, or customers adjusting to new ways of buying rather than in-store shopping, the sheer volume of customer calls and messages has forced many companies and municipalities to increase their call center presence. These needs are becoming more urgent as students across the nation prepare to return to school.
Some school districts are finding extreme shortages of bus drivers for school routes. In Pasco County, Florida, officials have revealed that nearly 80 bus routes remain unassigned due to bus driver shortages. In Jacksonville, Florida, the first day of school bus rollout was so chaotic, the district was forced to launch a web page entirely dedicated to keeping track of school bus transportation delays.
“During the first few weeks of school, normal bus times are often delayed by up to 30 minutes as routes are refined and staffed, drivers become familiar with their routes, and traffic normalizes,” according to the site. “Delays of greater than 30 minutes past the normal time are expected today on [some] routes. Updates to possible delayed routes are made as soon as we are aware of the issue.”
Other school districts are attempting to head problems off at the pass by boosting their call center presence for transportation-related questions.
The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) is a school district based in Chatham County, Georgia. The district recently announced that to cope with a rise in parent and student questions about bus transportation, it has expanded its phone lines to reduce call volume during peak hours.
“SCCPSS is committed to taking steps to improve our transportation offerings for all eligible students,” said the district. “Our team continues to make adjustments to bus routes to ensure we can transport the maximum amount of students identified in our Priority 1, 2, and 3 levels with available drivers.”
District residents with questions are encouraged to call 912- 395-5591 Monday through Friday between the hours of 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm, or on Saturday between the hours of 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. Residents may also send an email to the district at [email protected].
Edited by Luke Bellos