Occ. Code 2546100

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 1, GRADE 9	2546100
CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 2, GRADE 14	2546200
CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 3, GRADE 17	2546300

New York State Department of Civil Service

Classification Standard

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CLASS SERIES

          Call Center Representatives work at the various call centers of New York State.  Incumbents perform such tasks as providing information, over the telephone, to callers regarding state services and programs.   

Call Center Representatives are classified at call centers.  Most incumbents work at various call center clusters which disseminate information for several agencies.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 1: full-performance level; under the direction of a Call Center Representative 2, responds to verbal, written and electronic inquiries from customers, provides information about agencies programs and services, conducts interviews to secure complete information and identify the appropriate course of action, and contacts New York State agencies and the private sector to gather information to resolve complaints and process requests. 

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 2: first supervisory level; under the general direction of Call Center Representative 3, supervises lower-level Call Center Representatives and handles the more-difficult calls.  Incumbents typically supervise five or more Call Center Representatives 1.

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 3: second supervisory level; under the general direction of higher level call center staff, provides supervision, guidance, and oversight to teams of lower-level Call Center Representatives.  Incumbents typically supervise five or more Call Center Representatives 2. 

          Positions exist in a HESC parenthetic at the 1 and 2 levels.  See the attachment below for an explanation and description of this parenthetic. 

ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 1

· Utilizes various information systems to track and respond to telephone and electronic inquiries from customers.

· Provides information about agencies programs and services, primarily by telephone.

· Explains and interprets information by telephone to applicants, clients, and other customers.

· Interviews clients, applicants, and other individuals to secure complete information and identify the appropriate course of action.

· Interviews applicants, claimants, persons who request services to obtain the information needed to complete forms, records, or other documents.

· Contacts New York State agencies and the private sector to gather information to respond to inquiries, resolve complaints, and process requests from clients, applicants, and other parties.

· Contacts clients, applicants, and other persons to schedule interviews, hearings, and appointments for other reasons.

· Drafts correspondence in reply to in-person and telephone requests from clients, applicants, and other persons.

· Completes forms to obtain correct answers, gather information, take reports, and process inquiries.

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 2

· May perform all of the duties and responsibilities of a Call Center Representative 1.

· Supervises Call Center Representatives 1 and ensures that performance expectations are met.

· Monitors telephone calls taken by Call Center Representatives 1, engages in direct customer contact, and performs other tasks to ensure adherence to quality control, performance, and operational standards.

· Answers incoming calls to provide assistance to Call Center Representatives 1.

· Handles the more difficult calls and issues, as referred by Call Center Representatives 1, to ensure both a prompt and appropriate resolution of problems and any necessary corrective actions are taken.

· Provides technical assistance or training as needed.

· Assists in maintaining and revising the Call Center Policy and Procedures Manual, various training documents, and various other materials which serve as instructional aids.

· Identifies problem or complaint trends in a particular subject area and communicates these to the appropriate division and/or section for handling.

· Manages and directs program activities by setting priorities and deadlines.

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 3

· May perform all of the duties and responsibilities of a Call Center Representative 2.

· Supervises Call Center Representatives 2 and provides guidance and oversight to teams of lower-level Call Center Representatives.

· Communicates with other staff to plan and review department/division/section procedures and activities.

· Monitors work standards and daily volume to track and maintain service levels, meet productivity level objectives, etc.

· Provides ongoing feedback to identify problem areas and methods or techniques for improvement.  Recommends solutions to workload problems.

· Assists higher level staff in establishing work and quality control standards and productivity goals.

· Collects and analyzes statistical data on production and prepares various reports.

· Resolves problems as necessary.

· Reports critical issues to management.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 1

Open Competitive: sixty college semester credit hours and one year of work experience in customer service*; or a high school diploma or GED AND two years of work experience in customer service*.

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 2

Open Competitive: Bachelors Degree and one year of customer service* work experience in a customer call center** in a government agency***; or sixty college semester credit hours and two years of customer service* work experience in a customer call center** in a government agency***; or a high school diploma or GED AND three years of customer service* work experience in a customer call center** in a government agency***.

Promotion: one year of permanent competitive service as a Call Center Representative 1.

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 3

Open Competitive: Bachelors Degree and two years of customer service* work experience in a customer call center** in a government agency*** (one year of this experience must include the management and supervision of a unit or program area); or sixty college semester credit hours and three years of customer service* work experience in a customer call center** in a government agency*** (one year of this experience must include the management and supervision of a unit or program area); or a high school diploma or GED AND four years of customer service* work experience in a customer call center** in a government agency*** (one year of this experience must include the management and supervision of a unit or program area).

Promotion: one year of permanent competitive service as a Call Center Representative 2.

*Customer service is defined as dealing with many different individuals on a continuous basis where verbal communication is the primary means of accomplishing the duties of the position.

Qualifying experience could include call center agent, customer service representative, sales representative providing information and service, or telemarketer.  Non-qualifying experience includes teacher, cashier, fast-food worker, gas station attendant, or security guard.

**A customer call center is defined as a telephone service facility set up to handle a large number of inbound and/or outbound calls.  The specific work experience must have included dealing with many different individuals on a continuous basis where verbal communication was the primary means for accomplishing the duties of the position in a customer call center.

***A government agency includes a Department, Office, or Commission, and any unit, bureau, or division in a Department, Office, or Commission, at the federal, state, county, or municipal level. It does not include any private or publicly-held entity, for example a firm, company, or similar non-governmental entity, that contracts with or provides services to a government agency.

Attachment

Date:  10/15

NOTE: Classification Standards illustrate the nature, extent, and scope of duties and responsibilities of the classes they describe.  Standards cannot and do not include all of the work that might appropriately be performed by a class.  The minimum qualifications above are those which were required for appointment at the time the Classification Standard was written.  Please contact the Division of Staffing Services for current information on minimum qualification requirements for appointment or examination.

PARENTHETIC ATTACHMENT

          Positions in the HESC parenthetic are only classified at the Higher Education Services Corporation and have a greater and longer-term involvement in individual calls and issues than Call Center Representatives assigned to a consolidated call center.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 1 (HESC): full performance level; under the direction of a Call Center Representative 2 (HESC), responds to inquiries about student financial aid, utilizes various information systems to research and track information, interprets federal and State rules and regulations, interviews students and parents to gain appropriate information, and assists financial aid officers with the processing of complex accounts. 

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 2 (HESC): supervisory level; under the general direction of a Higher Education Services Program Analyst 2, supervises Call Center Representatives 1 (HESC) and the daily activities in the Customer Communications Center. 

ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 1 (HESC)

· Utilizes various information systems to track and respond to telephone and email inquiries from students, parents, schools, and lenders regarding higher education funding programs under the purview of HESC.

· Interprets and explains federal and State rules and regulations concerning financial aid and other higher education funding programs under the purview of HESC.

· Interviews students and parents to obtain relevant information to determine eligibility for programs.

· Assists financial aid officers with processing accounts and resolves problem situations which may prevent an application from being processed.

· Advises students and parents on the application process.

· Troubleshoots electronic application processing problems.

· Researches and gathers account processing information from HESC operational divisions, lenders, and schools to support higher education funding programs under the purview of HESC.

· Updates account information in various computer systems.

· Assigns Help Desk tickets to appropriate HESC staff and tracks accounts on spreadsheets and databases for possible resolution.

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 2 (HESC)

· May perform all of the duties and responsibilities of a Call Center Representative 1 (HESC).

· Supervises and assigns work to staff; coordinates schedules and the flow of calls through the Customer Communications Center; analyzes and prioritizes unit workload.

· Establishes performance standards for Call Center Representatives 1 (HESC); reviews and analyzes workforce data reports to ensure that performance goals are met.

· Assists Call Center Representatives 1 (HESC) in the resolution of the more difficult problems and processing issues.

· Recommends changes to work schedules and staff assignments to ensure the Customer Communication Centers call answer rate goals are met during peak calling periods; assesses agent skills and makes adjustments as necessary.

· Prepares reports reflecting individual statistics for Call Center Representatives 1 (HESC) to ensure service levels are met; sets performance goals and reviews goals with staff.

· Updates staff on a daily basis on issues such as policy changes relating to the FFEL and TAP programs.

· Monitors the operation of the Customer Communication Center using workforce management software to avoid backlogs and long wait times.

· Assists in various aspects of training, including classroom instruction, one-on-one coaching, account reviews, and updates to training manuals; trains staff on federal and State policy and regulations.

· Updates and maintains student records; utilizes databases to monitor account status.

· Completes performance reviews and counsels staff on performance issues.

· Completes special assignments and projects as assigned by supervisor.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 1 (HESC)

Open Competitive: sixty college semester credit hours and one year of work experience in customer service*; or a high school diploma or GED AND two years of work experience in customer service*.

CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE 2 (HESC)

Promotion: one year of permanent competitive service as a Call Center Representative 1 (HESC).