| Contact Center Metrics- Provide a superior customer experience |
Strategic Priorities |
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14.1 Consistently provide an excellent customer experience
- Provide a superior customer experience
About this measure |
This page details the performance of the Cuyahoga County Department of Health and Human Services Contact Center. Measures include
- Answered Calls, which represents the number of individuals who reached a caseworker using the contact center number to apply, renew, or report a change on their case,
- Real-time Eligibility Rate (formerly First Time Resolution Rate), or the percentage of customers who receive a resolution on their case during the call. Resolution is defined as when a benefit application is authorized during a call as reported by the caseworker. For first-time resolution, this means that an interview was completed and a benefit application was authorized during the caseworker's call with the applicant.
- Average Wait Time, which represents the average length of time an individual had to wait to speak with a caseworker,
- Average Handle Time, which represents the average length of time an individual spends on the phone with a caseworker as well as the amount of wrap-up time the caseworker needs after completing the call with the client,
- Abandon Calls, which represents the number of individuals who hung up prior to being able to speak to a caseworker concerning their issue
- Abandonment Rate, which represents the percent of total calls where individuals hung up prior to being able to speak to a caseworker concerning their issue, and
- Answer Rate, which represents the percent of total calls where individuals reached a caseworker using the contact center number to apply, renew, or report a change on their case
When combined these measures provide insight to the customer experience when calling the contact center for benefit assistance.
Data are reported by the Cuyahoga County Job and Family Services on a quarterly basis.
Why is this important? |
Improving the customer experience, while treating every person with dignity, respect, and empathy is critically important. Allowing individuals to call in to speak with their case workers allows for improved access to services for the public. In 2018, Cuyahoga County represented 11% of residents in the state, but received over 24% of the calls.
How are we making an impact? | |
In response to COVID-19, the Ohio Department Job and Family Services took advantage of several waivers made available by the United States Department of Agriculture that decreased the administrative burden on local county agencies administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs during the months of March, April, May, and June. These included:
- Waiving the Interim reporting requirements,
- Suspending recertification interview requirements for six months, and
- Waiving the interview requirement in cases where the agency could independently verify eligibility.
These waivers allowed Cuyahoga Job and Family Services (CJFS) to focus resources on the influx of new applications that were being received as a result of the massive job loss occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During Q3-20 many of the waivers that alleviated the administrative burden were discontinued. Interim Reporting requirements resumed from July through September. Recertifications were required for the months of July through October, and the interview requirement for new applications was reinstated from July 1st through November 29th.
As Q4-20 began, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021, and Other Extensions Act became law and provided States with the option to extend recertifications by six months and re-suspended the Interim Reporting requirements and initial application interview requirement was waived effective November 30. However, the loss of these waivers for Q3-20 resulted in an increase in the number of calls customers placed to the agency in Q4-20 due to a discontinuance of benefits in September and October.
In addition to the many changes in the administration of the SNAP and TANF programs, the open enrollment period for the Federal Market Place for Medicaid opened November 1 and closed December 15. During this period of open enrollment, CJFS experienced a 30% increase in the number of applications received. Overall, Q4-20 Contact Center performance showed a 44% increase in total calls and a nine percent increase in answered calls.
Due to the significant increase in call volume the abandonment rate more than doubled and call wait time nearly tripled in Q4-20. Despite these increases, real time eligibility remained stable at 67% for both SNAP and Medicaid.
| Real-time Eligibility Rate (SNAP) - Comparative Analysis |
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| Real-time Eligibility Rate (Medicaid) - Comparative Analysis |
Performance Target |
Abandonment Rate (Quarterly): 25%
Call Wait Time (Quarterly): 15
Call Handle Time (Quarterly): 18
Real-Time Eligibility - Medicaid (Quarterly): 76%
Real-Time Eligibility - SNAP/TANF (Quarterly): 68%
Call Details - Quarterly Performance |
Call Wait Times - Quarterly Performance |
Real-Time Eligibility - Quarterly Performance |
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| Calls Answered - Comparative Analysis |
Data Source |
Cuyahoga County: Cuyahoga County Job and Family Services
Comparative Analysis: Ohio Benefits (Month of Update: January)
Data table abbreviated due to number of measures. See attachment full data table.
Measure Data | Last Calculated an hour ago |