Running any contact center isn’t the easiest job. You have quite a number of things to keep an eye on every day—your employees’ performance, your call traffic, new technology and processes—it can all seem like a lot is on your plate from day to day. But running a public sector contact center can be even tougher than doing it in the private sector. Some of the issues they face are the same as any contact center, and others are unique to the public sector.

Budget Cuts
It’s unfortunate, but contact center spending just isn’t a very attractive use for tax dollars. Public sector contact centers have to do just about everything that the private sector does, but oftentimes with far less money. That’s because their budgets are usually relatively smaller that their private sector counterparts, and they can expect to see their budgets slashed when there’s a move to cut government spending.

And unfortunately, there isn’t an easy way to fix this. People still expect excellent service from their contact centers, regardless of their budget. In the private sector, it’s easier for a company to respond to a poor report on their customer service by allocating more money, upgrading software, or changing training practices. Government contact centers often don’t have political will behind them to get more money and fix their services. It’s sad, but people have a tough time worrying about 911 or other services until they call the number themselves and experience a wait.

Tech Gap
Another major issue for contact centers stems from a technology gap between private individuals and public sector contact centers. With the proliferation of smartphones, most people are used to texting and sending pictures and video when they think the occasion requires it. Most government contact centers aren’t equipped with the necessary technology to make this a viable option. 911 centers are currently working to allow citizens to text 911 and receive emergency support, but that isn’t yet a reality for most areas.

This technology gap also extends to the use of cell phones themselves.On his HBO show Last Week Tonight, John Oliver recently investigated the trouble that many 911 contact centers have with pinpointing the location of cell phone users who don’t know where they are. Before cell phones were in everyone’s pocket, 911 could trace the call to the location using the landline that the call was coming from. Now, it can be a much more dangerous issue if someone doesn’t know their exact location when they call 911.

These are issues that public sector contact centers face every day, and managing one can be a tough job when you have to deal with funding cuts or a technology gap. But there are ways you can help your contact center become more efficient and perform better.

Public safety software solutions from Kova give government, public, and enterprise organizations the actionable security information they need to be effective in their emergency response, investigations, and analysis. Contact us today to find out more about how Kova can help improve your contact center.