Remote Control: ITS Helps Campus Call Centers Work from Home

It can seem like the phones never stop ringing in offices across campus – and that’s no different when call center staff members are working from home.

To ensure the Syracuse University community remains connected, ITS recently strengthened remote capabilities for partners in Admissions, Financial Aid, the Bursar’s Office, University College, and Housing, Meal Plan, and ID Card Services. Informed and guided by a 2019 multi-month pilot experience, the team was able to convert more than 70 call center staff members to Voice Over IP (VOIP) telephone technology in record time.

As in-person instruction and non-essential on-campus operations were suspended due to concerns around COVID-19, ITS rapidly deployed softphones and cloud-based call center software for key student- and parent-facing offices. For each call center, the team:

  • Worked with the departments to identify users’ hardware shortcomings and helped reconcile those.
  • Held a requirements gathering workshop to understand how the software needed to be configured.
  • Configured the software.
  • Conducted user acceptance testing with the departments.
  • Trained agents and supervisors.
  • Cutover the call center to the new solution.
  • Provided post-cutover support.

These measures, guided by experience and a spirit of collaboration, enabled call center staff to continue to help hundreds of students and parents each day while working remotely.