Call Center Management Featured Article
Nashville 911 Issues Highlight Global Call Center Problems
In the US, when one dials 911, one expects a prompt response to whatever their trouble may be. Yet increasingly, we hear reports of understaffed 911 emergency centers, plagued not only by a lack of personnel but outdated and inefficient infrastructure and technology. Nashville, which boasts a metropolitan area population of approximately 1.75 million people, is the latest city to be plagued by 911 call center problems.
According to the SEIU, the union representing emergency call center dispatchers in Nashville, the center suffers from a number of problems including being short some 41 positions. An unnamed dispatcher recently told Fox17 that dispatchers in the metro area are spread thin due to understaffing, and the unfortunate result is a lack of sharpness and precision in their response to emergencies. Additional complaints at the call center include being underpaid and required to work mandatory overtime, two issues that severely impact overall quality of life.
“Really, the whole 911 operation in Nashville needs total revamping,” said Buck Dozier, a retired Nashville Fire Chief. “The conditions are not anywhere near what they need to be. They need a new facility. Technology needs to be updated. More people are stressed out.”
The problem appears to stem from call center management, who have continuously ignored dispatchers’ complaints. It’s an age-old issue in call centers throughout the globe, which suffer from one of the highest rates of churn and turnover of any profession. A simple change in attitude and practices from management will go a long way toward ensuring agents are happy, engaged and providing consistently excellent service and performance.
One of the biggest complaints among call center workers universally is a lack of regular schedule and mandatory overtime with little to no advance notice. And while some state and federal laws have been proposed to address these issues, managers can get ahead of the game by using technology and workforce management tools to better predict call center volume and traffic and create more efficient schedules. It’s a small step toward both improving call center operations from a productivity standpoint as well as keeping workers happier and more engaged.
Similarly, call center agents should be given regular training and coaching along with incentives to encourage a stellar performance. Particularly in the case of 911 emergency call centers, which are fraught with stress and life or death situations, managers need to ensure agents are getting the proper support both on the job and beyond, by providing predictable schedules. It boils down to a quality of life issue and happier employees will boost call center morale overall, as well as offering a more efficient and consistent performance.
Of course pay increases would go a long way toward boosting morale and improving performance. In the case of the Nashville 911 center, the Department of Emergency Communication (DEC) is working on issues like the personnel shortage and increasing salaries and pay structure. The DEC is also working on improving overall morale at the call center, from agents right on up to the director.
“The DEC’s management is doing whatever is necessary to improve the morale in the organization,” said Michelle Peterson, assistant director. “This includes the executive management meeting with employees to discuss, resolve, and improve issues that are presented by the employees at the meetings. However, it is the stance of the DEC that every member of this organization is responsible for contributing positive energy into the workplace. This viewpoint applies from the top director’s position to the newest employee who joins our team.”
Edited by Maurice Nagle