The mission of the Call Center is to provide accurate, efficient handling of all incoming telephone calls. The Call Center is committed to providing excellent customer service and representing Butte College in a positive, professional manner.
The Call Center resides under the Student Programs and Services branch of the college overseen by the Vice President of Student Services and Dean of Student Services. Our unit takes direction from the Director of Admissions and Records. The Call Center was established to provide personalized assistance to students and to enhance the customer service experience by increasing first call resolution at the college. By answering a number of commonly asked questions we provide assistance and free up resources at the department level.
The Call Center provides information to new students about the steps to enroll, navigation to the six steps to financial aid, important dates and deadlines, ID retrieval, MyBC login assistance, student email assistance, general navigation, busing information, fee information, cashiering and registration services, and assistance with contacting college departments and personnel.
The Call Center is comprised of:
� One (1) full-time Call Center Representative
� One (1) full-time bilingual Call Center Representative
� Five (5) Call Center Representatives who are
permanent part-time 24 hour employees (1 VACANT)
� One (1) part-time grant funded Spanish speaking
Center Representative through Student Equity
(VACANCY TO BE FILLED IN APRIL)
� One (1) full-time Call Center Supervisor retiring July
1, 2019 (VACANT SOON)
During peak periods our call volume can exceed more than 1000 calls per day. Call monitoring software would allow the Call Center to more effectively manage resources, align staffing with peak student demand, and minimize caller wait times.
The Call Center was included in the 2016 Admissions and Records Program review. The Program Review validation team recommended the Call Center obtain a system for tracking calls, monitoring the volume of calls and providing data to analyze outcomes. The Call Centers ability to implement this recommendation is solely dependent upon securing funding through the augmentation requests. This request is the 3rd item on the Call Center's Augmentation requests.
Strategy 1 - Quality Information and Access to Students
The Call Center is often the first point of contact for students. It is our goal to get students timely answers in the most efficient manner possible.
The last few years we established a Student Services Website accessable on the main web page "get help here" It would be helpful for students to have an entry point like the "ASK ME" symbol place throughout our website.
The Student Services Call Center staff on average has to go into 3 to 4 screens to evaluate what type of student, balance of student, holds for students and residency. It would serve all Student Services to have a screen like XDPE with more information on it regarding these other areas to help students more efficiently. Requesting this for the coming year is our goal.
Strategy 2 - Customer Service and Sustainability
To provide the best service to students in a sustainable manner, I wish to mantain the most knowledgeable Call Center staffing level possible.
This requires us to stay knowledgeable of all areas of the college in order to accurately share the Steps to Enroll, our programs and services as well as all the resources that students and staff can use to select and complete their goals.
The Call Center has experienced a significant amount of staff turnover in the last year and a half. Well trained staff are critical for answering student questions thoroughly, accurately, and efficiently. This is particularly true during peak call times. Vacant staff positions can significantly increase caller wait times.
Strategy 3 - Utilizing Technology for Information Access
Continued improvement of online services and navigation for students to self-serve. Main areas that students continue to have difficulty finding and understanding are:
Continually adding new functionality and services online through ongoing utilizing of newer technologies impowers students, reduces frustration, improves academic success and reduces phone calls.
This last year we implemented a Student Services FAQ page to help students navigate to services that continue to be difficult to find on our website.
We also provided an online help email service that continues to grow as students find this an alternative self serve option useful and timely.
Strategy 4 - Ongoing support to Spanish Speakers
We currently have (1) full-time Spanish speaker to assist with our Latino population. This year the Call Center applied for an additional Spanish speaker through Student Equity funds and we were granted (1) Half-time worker.
This support has allowed us to request and acquire a queuing system which now allows students to be assisted with a live operator each and every call. We brought this on board and we have tripled the amount of Spanish speakers we are able to assist. This extra position was funded through Student Equity. We will continue to apply for Student Equity funding to provide two Spanish speakers to give the coverage needed to effectively serve this growing population. This is especially needed now that the Butte College Promise Scholarship Program is available to this population of Dreamers and AB540's. It is also my understanding that we are close to being a Hispanic Serving Institution which gives us more funding.
Having Spanish speaking staff for set hours allow us to advertise a live operator to be available for students to get personalized assistance. We have found this population is hesitant to leave messages or ask questions without an actual operator to assist them. Having (2) operators online for the hours we are open or set hours of Spanish speakers is important to provide equal services to this population.
With additional staff we would also be able to reach out to current Latino students and assist them with online services. Getting these students online where most of our services are we hope will assist with their success.
To help with call volume and to improve online services, we would like to ask for ongoing support of the Call Center's Student Services FAQ page. This page provides answers to the top 10-15 questions students are asking for the given period. We would like to keep these answers relevent throughout the year and also provide important Student Services links and how to videos to provide additional online support to students. We also wish to provide ongoing email help. I would like to see "ASK ME" buttons placed throughout our webpage and in MyBC to get students to this page. Currently access to these services is on the main Butte College landing page. It would also be nice to get statistics on the number of hits the "find help here" gets.
The Call Center has used SSSP, non-credit SSSP and Student Equity funds on an as-needed basis and will continue to do so as needs arise.
LAST YEARS FUNDING
2019 Fiscal Year
11-000-700-1-649005
99% Salary/benefits - $478,987
2% to supplies/equipment - $5000
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$483,987
12-277-700-1-649005
100% (Part-Time bi-ligual position) - Salary & Benefits
100% (Seasonal 195's/except for back-fill) - Salary & Benefits
10% (Full-Time bi-lingual position) - Salary & Benefits
$77,388
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$ 561,375
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | SSSP, Student Services, Call Center | Personnel | 11-000-700-1-649005 | 52390 | $14,540.00 | $14,540.00 |
| Seasonal Worker Budget for Vacancies, Registration and Orientation periods | The Call Center with 2 FT and 5 PT staff answer up to 1000 calls a day during peak periods. This is an average of 22.5 questions per operator per hour. Call Center training costs are expensive and with our scope requiring operators to know so much about the college and Student Services it takes a minimum of 3 weeks of training. The budget here reflects 2 additional staff during our 5 key orientation/registration peak periods for 40 hours per week and training costs. |
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| 2 | SSSP, Student Services, Call Center | Personnel | 122597001649005 | 52190 | $22,551.00 | $22,551.00 |
| Bi-Lingual Call Center Representative (.6 FTE) | It is critical for our service to the Latino to have immediate service as opposed to having them leave messages. This population has a tendency to not feel comfortable to do so. Therefore this position allows us to have a queuing system for this population and be able to answer each call directly. |
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| 3 | SSSP, Student Services, Call Center | Equipment | 11-000-700-1-649005 | 55610 | $35,000.00 | $35,000.00 |
| Call Monitoring System | Our calls and scope have double or tripled and our staff level has stayed the same. We need a way to measure our volume to be able to set reasonable call volume limits for staff and be able to justify additional staff to meet any increase in volume or scope. Without a monitoring system or guidelines in this area, we are not planning effectively for a sustainable future. This was a recommendation from the Program Review Validation Team. |
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| 4 | SSSP, Student Services, Call Center | Operating Expenses | 11-000-700-1-649005 | 56411 | $5,000.00 | $5,000.00 |
| Budget for Headsets, equipment and basic supplies | Operators often go through a headset each year with the volume of calls we receive. Additionally, paper, envelopes, printer cartridges, business cards, binders and other supplies are needed for outreach, training and day to day operations. |
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