In October of last year, a freak snowstorm pounded the Northeast, leaving thousands of homeowners without electricity. A generous portion of those residents – specifically in Connecticut – found themselves in the dark for over two weeks.

With the utilities outage map mirroring a map of a battle, you can imagine the sheer number of calls, emails and complaints that came into Connecticut Light & Power, the state’s primary utility company, during that time. Unlike CL&P’s inability to completely restore power to all 831,000 CL&P customers in a timely manner, the utility company did receive some props for its short call wait times.

When disaster strikes, frenzied residents will require outside help and will most likely turn to their town and city officials for assistance and guidance. An elected local government body, otherwise known as a municipality, is often tasked with divvying out responsibilities in these scenarios, and is bound to be bombarded with calls from those in need. October’s Nor’easter and other natural disasters like last year’s Hurricane Irene are perfect examples for why municipalities must implement an up-to-date, thorough call center software solution capable of managing residents’ expectations during both low- and high-peak call periods.

Contact centers have become a primary vehicle for helping organizations– from utilities to public works groups – deliver a more streamlined interface between customer/citizen and agent during these crises. Customers are offered the convenience of handling all issues over the phone and are presented with a more sophisticated image of the service organization. However, with obstacles like tightened budgets, heightened attrition, high call abandonment rates and under-performing agents, call centers are more likely to fail in assisting customers when they require help the most.

Instead, municipalities can rely on a multimedia contact center solution, which guarantees agents can respond to customers faster and easier, no matter how they contact you. Zeacom is one company specializing in this type of call center software solution, as its Zeacom (News - Alert) Communications Center (ZCC) helps boost agent productivity, boasts capabilities for improved resource management and promises a shorter wait time for customers. In addition, ZCC channels every communication – whether it’s through fax, e-mail or chat – to one place to ensure outstanding customer service across all media.

As the way in which we communicate continues to evolve, it’s time for municipalities to parallel these changes in how they handle inquiries from residents, especially when they are in dire situations. A positive customer service experience can be the temporary relief residents need to get them through a difficult time.

Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet web editor. She covers a wide range of topics, including IP communications and information technology. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Rich Steeves