Business Operation Planning – Telecom Training

Presenter: La Shanda Brown

Presentation to: Fulton County Telecom Agents

Date: October 23, 2012

Georgia Department of Human Services

Vision, Mission and Core ValuesVision Vision

Stronger Families for a Stronger Georgia.Stronger Families for a Stronger Georgia.

MissionMissionStrengthen Georgia by providing Individuals and Families access to services that promote self-sufficiency, independence, and protect Georgia's vulnerable children and adults.

Core ValuesCore Values• Provide access to resources that offer support and empower Georgians and

their families. • Deliver services professionally and treat all clients with dignity and respect.

Manage business operations effectively and efficiently by aligning resources across the agency.

• Promote accountability, transparency and quality in all services we deliver and programs we administer.

• Develop our employees at all levels of the agency.

2

Training Overview

• How is the call center structured?• What is HICS and how will agents use it?• Phone protocol

How is the “call center” structured?

DHS – 1-877-423-4746

•The 1-877 number reaches all Divisions and Offices within DHS

•DFCS is option 2 in the entire flow

•Within option 2, DFCS calls flow to multiple destinations from

Local numbers

DFCS - Lobbies

Home – or away

2 – DFCS main menu

2 – Interview or renewal . . . .

Please note option 2 for Dekalb and Fulton residence only. . .

3 – To speak to an agent about your existing case

Option 2

1 Apply food stamps2 Renew3 Medicaid4 TANF5 Child Care6 All other inquiries 7 Repeat this menu

Please enter the zip code where you live . . . . Post November 5, 2012 for Fulton and Dekalb callers have the following options

Option 3

1 EBT (lost, replacement, and balance)2 Medicaid card3 Paper application or renewal form or Compass including uploading docs4 Energy Assistance5 Change6 All other concerns7 Repeat 8 Return to DFCS main menu

3 – To speak to an agent about your existing case

How are telecom staff structured?

Agent groups

1 -General inquiries – “all other concerns”

2 - Application interviewers – Food Stamps and Medicaid

3 - Renewal interviewers – Food Stamps and Medicaid

4 - ABD

5 - Child Care

6 - TANF

Telecom is the steepest point of culture change in the Business

Operations Planning model

• Call center technology

• Office hours

• Monitoring and Supervision

What type of calls will staff take?

• General Inquiries• Application Interviews• Renewal Interviews• All other calls that would typically come to the local

office

Next - HICS

• Questions about the call center set up

HICS Seats

• Email with HICS access for staff and supervisors

How do I login to HICS?

• Short cut to login• Pop up blockers must be disabled to log in• No more than one session of agent desktop at a time• User name and password

User Name – This is the username as defined by HICS (i.e. someone@dhr.state.ga.us)

User Password – The initial password is provided via email.

Place – This is the “place” or phone number at which the user is sitting.

HICS login screen

Navigating the HICS screen

Attached User Data

Statistics Ticker

Navigation Bar

ANI, DNISTool Bar

Agent State

Agent State Changes

Upon successful login, the agent will be in a Ready state.

Ready codes

Inbound call screen

When there is an incoming call, a flashing yellow square with a phone icon in the center will appear.

Call options

Hold/Retrieve

Conference

Transfer

Conference Calls

• Click “Conference” icon • Select a target agent or enter a phone number.• Click on the Conference button at lower right.• The caller will be put on-hold.• The conferencing agent’s phone will ring on the 2nd line, and the agent must

answer (or hit Flash if you have a single line phone)• The targeted agent’s phone rings and when they answer, caller is still on hold• When ready to complete conference, i.e. connect caller to target, the agent

clicks conference complete button on the AD toolbar.

TransfersTwo-Step Transfer (Warm transfers)

• Click “Transfer” icon in AD, select a target agent, click the “2-step” radio button and the “Transfer” button.

• The caller will be immediately put on-hold.• The transferring agent’s phone will ring on the 2nd line, and the

agent must answer (or hit Flash if you have a single line phone)• The targeted agent’s phone rings and when they answer, the

consult leg is connected; caller is still on hold• When consultation is done, transferring agent clicks “Complete

Transfer” icon in AD and he/she is dropped from the call.

.

Transfers continued

One-Step Transfer (Cold transfers)

• When the agent presses the transfer button, to complete the transfer, select an available agent or group from the list and click the ‘Transfer’ icon

What does the agent see when transferring a call?

Outbound calls

•click on the ‘Make Call’ icon to the far left of the second row of buttons.•input the phone number into the field provided •press the connect button. •The agent’s phone will ring, •the agent must immediately answer the call. •After answering the call the target number will be dialed and the agent connected to the target party.

Connect makes the call

Make Call

Redial

The agent is able to redial the last set of X phone numbers that they have called.

Disconnect / Mark Done

When agent is ready to disconnect a call they would need to press the “Disconnect” button shown below.

Disconnect

How to change a password

Preferences – Settings – Security - change password

Next. . . .Phone Protocol

Questions on HICS software. . . . . .

10 don’t’s

1. Don't interrupt callers when they're speaking.

2. Don't sound bored, sleepy or indifferent to the caller.

3. Don't bring your emotions from your personal life into your call.

4. Don't let callers' negative or angry tones affect you.

5. Don't speak too quickly.

6. Don't eat, drink or chew gum while you're speaking with customers.

7. Don't cough, sneeze or clear your throat directly into the mouthpiece of your headset.

8. Don't breathe loudly into the mouthpiece of your headset.

9. Don't make up information when you don't know the answers to callers' questions.

10. Don't forget your manners.

Tips for good Customer Service

• Keep a professional voice tone

• Control the call

• Do not use acronyms

• Provide acknowledgments/ affirmations

• Remember hold etiquette

• Avoid or explain dead air

• Be prepared

Start of the call – Greet the callerIf providing information or changing Success always verify the caller’s identityRepeat information as needed for clarity

Interview or inquiry –Policy is policy

Call Summary -Inform the caller of any action resulting from your conversationInform the caller of next steps (if applicable)

Close of the call –Be confident and courteous

Anatomy of a call

Dealing with irate clients

• Address irate customers professionally

• Remain calm, listen patiently, and answer softly

• Apologize if a mistake has been made and work to address the mistake quickly.

• Be sure to keep your word by doing what you say.

What if the caller uses foul language

• Ignore the first insult. – remain professional – avoid using personal accusatory statements.

Example: “Pardon me? I’m sorry, I want to help you but I find the foul language offensive. Can we try again?”

• If the abusive language continues, give one warning only and disconnect the call.

Example: “I would really like to help you, but I will have toterminate the call if I continue to hear foul language.”

Types of Questions

• Closed

• Probing

• Open

• Leading

Exercise

• 4 Volunteers

Supervision/ Coaching Tools

• Monitoring• Whisper• Barge-in

Reports and Statistics

• CTI Reports: Historical

• CTI Statistics: Real - time

Additional Notes• What about November 5th?

• Don’t forget to test your call seat login.

• If you have trouble contact your supervisor

• Supervisor phone tree

• Scheduling

Sources

• AT&T Hosted ICS Agent Desktop Guide• DFCS Education and Training• DFCS change center

Questions