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Ketchikan, AK 99~CO I

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

RE:

- . Phone (907) 228-)603 Fax (907) 225-5(}75

TRANSMITTAL MEMORANDUM

The Honorable Mayor and City Council

Karl R. Amylon, General Manager

April 11 , 2017

Unanswered Calls at the KPU Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division

At the City Council meeting of April 6, 2017, Councilmember Zenge expressed concerns regarding the recent issue of unanswered calls at the KPU Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division. Attached for City Council review is a memorandum from Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division Manager Kim Simpson, which explains the circumstances that resulted in the unanswered calls and the measures that have been put into place to attempt to remedy the situation. I agree with Ms. Simpson's assessment of the challenges posed as a result of unanticipated staff shortages and the high volume of walk in traffic and the Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division offices at the Plaza. While I completely understand customers' frustration over unanswered calls, at the same time I recognize the challenges that the staff faces on a daily basis as outlined in the Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division Manager's report.

AGENDA - 04/20/17 - KPUMR4

K.PU ~-- ~- .·.

KPU Sales, Marketing & Customer Service 2417 Tongass Avenue, Ste 119D

.. ~ Ketchikan, AK 99901 '

Phone (907) 228-5474

Memorandum

To: Karl R. Amylon, KPU General Manager

From: Kim Simpson, KPU S, M & CS Division Manager

Date: April 10, 2017

Subject: Unanswered calls in KPU Customer Service

The purpose of this memorandum is to respond to concerns expressed by Council member Judy Zenge regarding unanswered calls in KPU Customer Service during the council comment section of the City Council meeting held on April 6, 2017.

Background KPU Customer Service, located in the mall at 2417 Tongass, is the only sales and service order center for all of KPU , including Telecom, Water, and Electric. This location is also the primary payment location for KPU. Both payments on account and payment updates are taken over the counter and/or over the phone. Online payments are downloaded and manually entered each day and mail payments are hand entered daily. In addition to these functions, the KPU office in the mall also houses the entire credit and billing departments for KPU : the Credit coordinator, the Credit CSR Ill, the Telephone Billing/Systems analyst and the Electric billing CSR Ill. In mid 2016, Verizon Wireless was launched in the KPU Customer Service location. The considerable responsibilities for sales, troubleshooting, and technical assistance for wireless primarily fell to the 7 CSR lis. These are the staff members who interact directly with customers. These same staff also backfill the front counter CSR I positions, and they are the primary group who answers customer phone calls.

KPU Customer service answers approximately 4200 calls per month, which is equal to 200 per day, or 23 calls per hour, or one every 2 1/2 minutes. This number includes all answered calls and does not include missed calls. There are two CSRs who are tasked with logging and returning all voicemail calls and this is done multiple times per day.

Seasonal turn-up for both utilities and Telecom services begins in late March and continues through the first week in May. During this time it is not unusual for both call volume and walk in traffic to increase significantly as seasonal employees attempt to get services in place.

Due to a resignation and a termination, KPU Customer Service is currently understaffed by two (2) CSRs, which leaves only 5 CSR lis to assist customers. Of these five, one of the CSRs is new and is undergoing training, so he is unable to fully help customers.

Monday is historically a short-staff day for KPU customer service. The bargaining agreement requires that CSRs receive two consecutive days off. This means that CSRs who work Saturday automatically receive Sunday and Monday as their days off. There are no part time CSRs, so staff either works Monday-Friday, or Tuesday-Saturday.

Issue: KPU Customer Service has already begun to see an increase in seasonal activity, which began the last week of March. For March week 4 and April week 1 call volume averaged 350 calls per day, which is 175% the normal call volume. This call activity unfortunately coincided with unplanned staff shortages, and higher than normal customer assistance required in Verizon. The end result of this "perfect storm" was a struggle for the remaining staff to provide the service levels ordinarily expected of KPU Customer Service.

Monday, April 3, the first Monday after payday, was a particularly difficult since there were only three CSR II, one front counter CSR I, the billing analyst, and two credit staff on-hand. All helped with customers. One Saturday CSR volunteered to work that Monday, but even with her help, the staff struggled to keep up with the large volume of calls , payments, sales orders and Verizon transactions. The result was that dozens of calls went unanswered as staff assisted the customers in front of them. Tuesday, April 4, was equally challenging, with a call volume of 370+, or 44 calls per hour. It should be noted that all calls left on voicemail during the day were logged and calls were returned as time allowed. Staff was kept after hours on overtime to ensure that all calls were returned.

Resolution: Effective as of Thursday, April 61

h, KPU Customer Service staff had their lunch hour reduced from one hour to 30 minutes. This will result in a greater staff presence during the busy lunch hour period to assist customers and answer phones. This change will remain in effect through May 5th and the first ship. The lunch reduction will result in additional overtime, but this should be offset by wages not paid to currently open positions in SM & CS.

KPU's customer service call flow has been altered so that the credit staff, the billing staff and the customer service manager will now be included in the routing of routine calls, after the front desk and CSR II staff.

CSR lis will often step to the front counter to help take payments when a line seems particularly long. This is usually over the lunch hour. The CSR lis have now been directed to remain at their desks to answer incoming calls. Once KPU is fully staffed, the CSR lis will again begin to assist the front counter staff.

Summary: KPU Customer Service staff strives to provide the best possible experience for customers and

they go to great lengths to ensure customers are happy. This is quite easy when a customer is sitting at a desk, and it is also when they are speaking on the phone. On the contrary , not answering a call is very customer unfriendly and must be avoided at all costs. Particularly in Ketchikan, people expect personal service, and a real person on the phone. It is expected that the recent measures put into place will ensure that customers' calls are answered and that they feel as valued as they really are by KPU and its staff.

Cc. Ed Cushing David Martin Marie Miller

UNAPPROVED April 6, 2017

Manager Amylon provided the Council with a memorandum from Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division Manager Simpson announcing the resignation of Marketing Manager Michelle O'Brien. He wished Ms. O'Brien well and thanked her for all she has done for KPU and the community. He noted staff has begun a recruitment effort for the position.

Overall Excellence for Local Programming Award and Best of the Northwest Award- Alliance for Community Media

As noted in the attached report from Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division Manager Simpson, Manager Amylon congratulated the division for the first place awards for Overall Excellence in Public, Educational and Government Programming and Best of the Northwest in the Community Involvement categories. He congratulated all those involved in the production of local content programming that resulted in the prestigious awards.

Overview of the Southeast Alaska Power Agency (SEAP A)

As requested by Councilmember Coose, Manager Amylon indicated that representatives of Southeast Alaska Power Agency would provide an updated overview of the joint action agency at the Council meeting of April20, 2017.

CITY CLERK'S FILE -None

CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT- None

CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT- None

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS -None

MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS

Councilmember Coose felt the Council should consider telling the delegation in Washington DC that the "bridge to nowhere" and the pinnacle rock should be high on the trillion-dollar infrastructure list. He felt the State marijuana board was having a hard time with smoke shops, and we should write a letter against a smoke shop. Mayor Williams asked for four hands that this be an agenda item, but only three were shown.

Councibnember Zenge said the Council needs to look at KPU customer service and answering the telephones. She said it is all over social media with people complaining. She feh there needed to be some way to get those phones answered.

Councilmember Gage said she had a meeting with Nancy Tieman, CEO of PeaceHealth Medical Center, who said the board wants to put her on subcommittees since the Governing Board is full. Councilmember Gage described her meeting in February, and further discussion was held on billing issues.

Councilmember Isom complimented KPU because they have been on the spot with her business. She said Michelle O'Brien will be missed.

Councilmember Sivertsen said he has asked s taff about contacting DOT about the condition of the pavement on Tongass Avenue because it is so bad. He said the Senate passed the budget out

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