After Hours Answering Services

The vendor required to provide live operator telephone answering services through a 24-hour call center.
- Operators must be capable of receiving incoming calls and forwarding messages and emails to designated authority staff through secure and private communication lines.
- Communication methods may include phone calls, emails, text messages, and voicemail forwarding.
- Service hours
•    Weekday regular business hours (back-up service): provide back-up answering services for special programs or as needed and determined by authority: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. To 5:00 p.m.
•    Weekday after-hours service: provide after-hours answering services during the following periods: Monday through Friday, 5:00 p.m. To 7:00 a.m., excluding designated holidays.
•    Weekend service: provide continuous twenty-four (24) hour answering services on weekends, defined as: Friday at 5:00 p.m. through Monday at 7:00 a.m.
- Personnel recruitment:
•    Provide adequate personnel, trained in the proper methods and techniques in order to properly and satisfactorily accept phone calls and relay information, and have the necessary public relations skills to interact with employees and customers in a professional, courteous, and businesslike manner.
•    Staffing levels shall be adequate to handle the volume of calls received from authority callers.
•    The ability to call in additional operators to handle increased call volume that may result from a weather-related incident, major power outage, major disaster, etc.
•    The ability to accommodate for on-going training of call center staff when authority changes of policies and procedures warrant a change in how calls are handled.
- Emergency vs. non-emergency calls:
1. Non-emergency calls during regular business hours 
•    The answering service shall direct all non-emergency calls during regular business hours to property management personnel. 
•    Answering service shall let caller know this is an emergency line only and to call or email their property management staff with questions or to initiate a maintenance work order.
2. Non-emergency calls during after-hours 
•    The answering service shall direct all non-emergency calls during regular after hour's business hours to property management personnel. 
•    Answering service shall let caller know this is an emergency line only and to call or email their property management staff with questions or to initiate a maintenance work order.
3. Emergency calls during regular business hours 
•    The answering service shall contact the appropriate authority personnel from the emergency contact list (to be provided after award of contract). 
•    The operator shall provide information such as the caller's name, building name, building location, phone number, type of emergency, and whether the resident has authorized entry into their unit.
4. Emergency calls during after-hours
•    For maintenance emergencies, dispatch the appropriate maintenance trade person from the after-hours on-call list (to be provided after award of contract). 
•    The operator shall provide information such as the caller's name, building name, location, phone number, type of emergency, and authorization of the resident to enter the unit if applicable.
- Types of calls: 
1. Maintenance emergencies 
•    The subject of calls could include plugged toilets, broken windows, range and refrigerator repairs, roof leaks, no heat or electricity, etc. for after-hours calls, dispatch the appropriate on-call maintenance person; during regular business hours, contact the appropriate property manager.
2. Routine maintenance calls 
•    The subject may include drippy faucets, cracked windows, etc. 
•    The operator will advise the caller that routine, non-emergency calls need to go to property management.
3. Lockouts 
•    The operator will dispatch authority security contractor to let the resident into their apartment.
- Service response times:
•    95% or more of all incoming calls will be answered within three rings or less at all times.
•    No more than 30% of incoming calls will be placed on hold.
•    No caller will be placed on hold for longer than two minutes.
- Reports daily reports:
•    Date of call
•    Time received 
•    Name of caller
•    Location of caller
•    Description of call
•    Description of how the call was handled.