Unemployment Insurance Modernization
  • Introduction
  • What we're reading
    • Language Access Resources
    • Tracking implemented solutions
  • Language Access Resources
    • USDR Language Access Support
    • AI Translation Assistants for Unemployment Insurance Benefits
    • Spanish Translation Guide for Unemployment Insurance
      • Using This Guide
      • Writing Inclusive Spanish
      • Writing Plain Spanish
        • Guidance For Word Choice
        • Guidance For Sentence Structure
        • Spanish Grammar Conventions
      • Designing Reader-Friendly Content for Spanish Speakers
      • Final Notes
      • USDR Language Access Support
      • Links to Resources
      • Spanish Translation Guide Changelog
  • Plain Spanish Glossary of Unemployment Insurance Terms
  • Multilingual Retroactive PUA Eligibility Resources for State Workforce Agencies
    • (English) Retroactive PUA – Claimant Communications
    • (Spanish) Retroactive PUA – Claimant Communications
    • (English) Retroactive PUA – Fact-finding content
    • (Spanish) Retroactive PUA – Fact-finding content
    • Retroactive PUA – Fact-finding form design
  • Unemployment Insurance Fraud Reporting
    • Unemployment Insurance Fraud Reporting Tool Kit
  • Identity proofing for UI agencies
    • Identity proofing introduction
    • Race and inequity in identity proofing methods
      • Background
      • Recommendation 1: Find and mitigate inequitable impact of identity fraud detection flags
      • Recommendation 2: Increase accountability for ensuring rightful claimants make it through the system
      • References and thanks
    • What is identity proofing?
    • Commercial uses of identity proofing
    • Process of identity proofing
      • Identity resolution
      • Identity validation
      • Identity verification
    • User experience of identity proofing
    • Identity proofing vendor comparison
      • Vendor analysis
      • Summary of vendor offerings
      • Deep dive: pricing
      • Deep dive: platform “bundling”
      • Deep dive: handling Social Security numbers
      • Deep dive: document verification
      • What’s next?
    • Appendix I: Vendor evaluation of key considerations
    • Appendix II: Vendor Evaluation of Supplemental Considerations
  • Additional Deep Dives
    • Effective Communication with UI Claimants Through a Standalone Case Management System
    • Sample Communications
    • Customer support mechanisms for UI agencies
      • Improved UX reduces inequity
      • Online appointment scheduling
        • Agency’s current solution
        • Other states’ solutions
        • Solution space
        • Deep dive: vendor “types”
        • Deep dive: pricing
        • Recommendations by category
      • Chatbots
        • Methodology
        • Types of online chat
        • Live chat
        • Free-text chat
        • Prompted chat
        • Support chat
        • Requirements
        • Best practices
        • Known results
    • Employer Interactions with Unemployment Insurance Systems
      • Landscape of the Employer Experience: User Interviews
        • Methodology
        • Key Takeaways
      • Employer Experience: Digital Interactions
        • Methodology & Note on Language
        • Key Takeaways
  • UI Journey Map & Recommendations
    • Introduction
      • The Journey Map
      • Methods & Acknowledgements
    • The Claimant Journey
      • Know what I'm eligible for
      • Submit my information
      • Certify Weekly
      • Receive Payment
      • Know my claim status
      • Receive Help
    • The Agency Journey
      • Validate Identity
      • Validate Monetary Eligibility
      • Interacting with Employers
      • Fact Finding
      • Update systems for new programs
      • Relationship with US DOL
    • The Employer Journey
  • Getting started with data
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  1. Additional Deep Dives

Customer support mechanisms for UI agencies

By Alyssa Levitz

PreviousSample CommunicationsNextImproved UX reduces inequity

Last updated 4 years ago

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Unemployment Insurance agencies have been experiencing an unprecedented and overwhelming volume of telephone calls related to unemployment insurance during the COVID-19 crisis. There are simply not enough phone operators to handle the volume of incoming calls, and callers are having poor experiences (e.g., dropped calls, long wait times).

Having a complete "suite" of customer support tools not only helps agencies control costs associated with some of the higher-touch support channels, but it also helps their constituents by meeting them where they are. Phones (and when safely possible given COVID restrictions, in-person appointments) are incredibly important for a speedier resolution to complex cases -- and for people with limited sight or reading capabilities. They also provide a mechanism for those with limited or no access to the internet to get their questions answered and cases resolved.

Keeping phone lines and in-person appointments in place are important for reducing the impact of the digital divide. But without a suite of customer support tools, everyone relies on the phone and ends up crowding out the people who need the phone to do anything at all with their claims or questions.

We have done deep dives into some of the solutions that can be complementary to existing customer support systems:

Online appointment scheduling
Chatbots