80 likes | 213 Views
CRM Disaster Recovery: Lessons Learned from Superstorm Sandy. Laura Zink Marx Executive Director, NJ 2-1-1 Partnership. NJ 2-1-1 Role in a Disaster. NJ 2-1-1 is a statewide system utilizing the three digit dialing code 2-1-1, available 24/7, 365 days a year, free and confidential.
E N D
CRM Disaster Recovery:Lessons Learned from Superstorm Sandy Laura Zink Marx Executive Director, NJ 2-1-1 Partnership
NJ 2-1-1 Role in a Disaster • NJ 2-1-1 is a statewide system utilizing the three digit dialing code 2-1-1, available 24/7, 365 days a year, free and confidential. • NJ 2-1-1 consists of one call center and 58 staff • Headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey • NJ 2-1-1 disaster services include: • Public Information Portal for Response and Recovery Information and Services • Addictions Hotline • UVIS: Uniform Victim Identification System
Challenges: Handling Call Surge • Needed secure, cloud software capable of handling tens of thousands of calls during major disasters without interruption • Needed ability to quickly add staff and outsource calls to partners during periods of high volume • Needed automated messages to relay critical information to callers
Handling Call Surge Must Haves • Ability to transfer calls to back-up locations, crisis centers and to contact 9-1-1 • Ability to stay “live” as the state’s suspicious reporting tips line comes through the 2-1-1 portal • Expandability: add licenses for new agents within hours • To be positioned as “the” portal of disaster information & services for the public, even if we did not physically answer the calls
How We Met Our Goals Percentage or Timer Routing Work at Home, Off Site Flexibility of AA & IVR
Supporting Technologies • Five9 Cloud Contact Center Software • Premise Based (redundancy): Telecom (IP Office), Referral and Resource House Installed on our servers, hard copies • Phone App: Resource House • Communication Delivery: T-1s and FIOS that have back up capability • Utilities: Our Achilles Heal (no back-up generator)
Results • Answered over 100,000 calls since Sandy hit the Jersey shore, while resuming normal operations within 10 days • Stayed operational throughout the hurricane and in the following weeks • Offered operational options for the state & FEMA to drive information to callers and to set realistic expectations • We handled the big question – call surge • Proved the NJ 2-1-1 is a vital tool in disaster response and recovery, plans in place to include NJ 2-1-1 in the state emergency operations plan moving forward.
Questions? Laura Zink Marx lmarx@nj211.org 973-929-3704