Virtual call center to the rescue

摘要

One of the first calls employees injured on the job make is to the state workers' compensation board to initiate benefits claims for coverage of medical bills and replacement of lost wages. But New York workers making that call before 2001 were likely to suffer insult on top of injury: Customer service was abysmal. Even though the New York State Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) had digitized all its paper files, customer service was a mess. Each office had its own setup ― some a few dedicated lines, others a Centrex system, still others gear from Lucent or Nortel. No more than three customer service representatives staffed each office, regardless of incoming call volume. In some offices, call volume was light and reps didn't have enough to do. In others, calls streamed in nonstop. "A significant number of calls got busy signals, and callers faced long wait times," says John McDermott. IS director for the WCB. The board receives approximately 1 million calls per year from injured workers and other stakeholders in the workers' compensation system.