MUPS PROJECT EXECUTIVE SPONSOR UPDATE

Developing a Work from Home Program for Your Contact Center Rep

Minneapolis 311 Virtual Agent Pilot

1Minneapolis 311Minneapolis 311 How Can We Help?Opened January 4, 2006

Staffing Staffed 7 AM 7 PM, Monday Friday20 Customer Service Agents (17 in Winter)3 Supervisors2 Analysts 1 Office Support1 Director

Handled 384,283 calls and 16,638 emails in 2010Average Speed of Answer = 31 secondsFirst Call Resolution = 82.5%

2Tele-working is common place in many industries

Benefits of tele-working are well documented

Opens up access to a largely underutilized employee pool

What Is The Opportunity??For Minneapolis 311, these may include:Reduced overhead costsSpace savings, and the costs associated with spaceIncreased productivityHelp in retaining and recruiting employeesImproved employee moraleReduced absenteeismImproved customer serviceImproved capabilities for continuing operations, emergency preparedness and disaster recoveryGreater flexibility to meet fluctuating work demands Benefits of TelecommutingBenefits of TelecommutingFor employees, these may include:Reduced and Eliminated travel time and costsFlexible work hoursMore job satisfaction

For the community, these may include:Reduced traffic congestion, air pollution, and fuel consumptionGreater accessibility to servicesImproved customer service5Free consulting from e-workplace which is a state sponsored program that received federal grants to provide these services to Metro Employers committed to Teleworking. 4 Customer Service Agents deployed in July/August 2010Pilot ran to April, 2011A final recommendation will be made at the conclusion of the pilotMinneapolis 311 Virtual Agent PilotWe had to address:

Process

People

TechnologyHow Were We Able to Get Here?CustomerPeopleProcessesTechnologyCustomer service is constant. For 311 customers the virtual agent arrangement should be transparent; that is, the customer should detect no difference in the quality or timelines of service rendered from the primary office or the work from home location.

Non Negotiable Requirement Bargaining Unit Partnership

Cross functional project team

Communication / Training / Meetings / Events

Supervision / Performance Management

Pilot Guidelines

ProcessesVirtual Agent Home Environment

Technical Support

Virtual agent application & selection

Seek out advice and expertise

Processes (contd)A 311 Virtual Agent is essentially a 311 Customer Service Agent who works from home. Work from home agents are commonly referred to as telecommuters or teleworkers.

Definition of 311 Virtual Agent311 Virtual Agent (telecommuting) is not a fit for every Service Agent.311 Virtual Agent is not a substitute arrangement for dependent care or a substitute to accommodate personal or other business endeavors.311 Virtual agents will be responsible for any costs related to remodeling and maintenance of the home workspace.The 311 Virtual Agent will provide a work environment free of background noises and other distractions. Must agree to participate in all pilot activitiesWork standards are the sameMust have a level of technical abilityVirtual agents will take all necessary precautions to secure and prevent unauthorized access to all data311 Virtual Agents who work at home agree to provide a safe workspace. This includes complying with City ergonomic policies and guidelines

PeopleEligibility

All Minneapolis 311 Customer Service Agents (1 & 2) are eligible to be considered for a Virtual Agent position. 311 Management reserves the right to determine how many Virtual Agent positions are available. It is expected that the ratio of CSA1 and CSA2 Virtual Agents will be reflective of total number of CSA1s and CSA2s.

For the pilot, up to 5 CSAs will be considered.Objective: Replicate the customer service agents work station capabilities at their work from home site.

Solutions:VoiceData / Applications / E Bulletin BoardFurniture

Technology

311 Virtual Agent Workstation311 Office Agent Workstation

IP phone connectivity to users virtual offices allowing for full call center voice application functionality

Data VPN connectivity to all City 311 agent systems and applications

Dedicated voice and data bandwidth to ensure the same or better quality of service as onsite 311 agents.

Business-class IPS connection from third party provider to virtual agent home offices

Voice & Data Solutions Management reserves the right to make inspections of the at home workspace with prior and appropriate notification.

The home work space shall be an area specifically designated and set aside for use by the virtual agent. The size of the space should be large enough to accommodate the equipment and furniture provided by the City.

The home work space will have necessary high speed cable, telephone and power connection points in close proximity of the virtual agent home work space.

City provided desk, chair, wireless headset & chair mat (if needed).

Baseline ergonomic requirementsFurniture / Office Solution17

311 Department InformationAgent Utilization

User State AvailableHandledUnavailableWorkRingOther

Contact Handle Time (calls & emails)Contacts Handled / DayFirst Call ResolutionAfter Call Work (seconds)Adherence to scheduleAbsenteeism / Sick / Tardiness

Environmental

Agent SatisfactionData Collection

On the average, each agent saves: 4,147 miles annually104 hours annually$2,074 in vehicle expense annually

Impact on the environment:20,114 pounds of CO2 emissions annually

Agent & Environment BenefitsAll I can say it I love it. There is no long stressful commute on the days I dont come in. I feel that I am more relaxed and am able to give the customer my undivided attention without any distractions. Mary

Working from home has improved the quality of life in many ways for me. For instance, the money I have saved from having to buy gas to commute to and from work and the extra time I get to spend being around family. I also appreciate the way management has kept me well-informed about whats going on in the call center through conference-call meetings, over the phone training, updates from email and our 311 intranet webpage. Harry

I am excited to be a part of the Virtual Agent Pilot and for the opportunity to see the positive impact it may have on 311 and City of Minneapolis. Overall, working as a Virtual Agent has allowed me to have more balance in my life. Its been a positive experience for my family and a great learning experience for me so far. - Gina Agent Reaction

Thank you for calling the City of Minneapolis25