OOIDA switchboard answers the call

OOIDA is unique in many ways.

Case in point: When a member or any other truck driver calls the Association’s headquarters in Grain Valley, Mo., every one of those calls is answered by a person.

There’s no automation.

“It’s one of the things we hear most about, that calls are actually answered by an operator,” said Diane Halsey, the OOIDA switchboard supervisor. “Our goal is to get them to the correct place on the first transfer based upon what they are needing to do that day.”

The OOIDA switchboard is covered by a team of 11 individuals whose collective goal is to ensure every call they field gets to the appropriate department. Considering the intricacies of the trucking business, this is no easy task.

Halsey, the team lead, and operators Teresa Aber and Lori Flynn have nearly six decades of combined experience providing what they call “the best customer service possible.”

Halsey had experience in the insurance industry before her career at OOIDA began in May 2000.

“I was familiar but had to learn a lot of the technical terms,” she said.

Aber, whose first day at OOIDA was in September 2005, previously worked at a cafe in Blue Springs, Mo., that was frequented by those working in the human resources department at OOIDA. Aber told them she was looking for steadier work, and soon after, she joined the Association’s staff.

“I started in housekeeping. That got my foot in the door, and I worked there for the first six months I was here,” Aber said.

Flynn joined the team in April 2012 after previously holding receptionist positions. She inquired with and was later hired by OOIDA at the encouragement of her friend, Sheri Shepherd, who is still employed within the Association’s Life and Health Department.

“A lot of our job is to educate, so when they call next time, they know exactly where they need to go,” Aber said. “It’s eye-opening in our department. We have to learn a little bit about every single department, what they do and their sub-departments.”

Over time and through trial and error, the department has fine-tuned its process to ensure its goal of a one-transfer call.

“Someone may call and say something generic, like ‘truck insurance,’” Halsey said. “There’s six different ways that can go.”

Flynn described it as a flow chart where the switchboard employees are listening for a keyword and proceeding from there.

“If they tell us as specifically as they can, we can still dissect it and get them to what they really need,” Aber said.

Compliance, lease reviews, authority, IRP and ELDs are just a few of the frequent areas of misinterpretation. Additionally, challenges arise from the fact that jargon frequently used within the industry doesn’t always align with how it’s termed by regulatory bodies.

But this isn’t to say the switchboard operators aren’t immediately clued in on some calls. Should callers say, “I’m not hauling for that guy anymore” or “I’ve changed outfits,” that’s enough for an operator to know where to send them.

“When I first started, the average call was 13 seconds,” Halsey said. “Now, every department has a specific way to answer their calls or how many we can have holding. We have to look at the notes first. It’s progressed a lot, because we are a lot more involved in the calls.”

It’s all about that personal touch and making the caller feel like “more than a number.”

If someone who’s known as “Rooster” or “Cowboy” calls in, that’s the name the switchboard staff will use.

“They might not have had anyone be nice to them all week,” Halsey said. “We can take that extra personal touch. And I don’t ever want anyone to think they’re a number, which is why we use their preferred name.”

That personal touch reflects how the group feels about their time at OOIDA. It’s a workplace that feels like family, Aber said.

“I’ve been here 20 years, and you are treated like you matter. That, for me, is the biggest thing,” Aber said.

And communication is a two-way street throughout the building.

“They’ve always had an open-door policy here,” Flynn said. “A lot of places I’ve worked, it’s whatever your supervisor says. I love working with these ladies. They have been very good to me through my health issues, and I want to return that to them by being here and doing my job.”

There’s a lot of trust in this building, Halsey added.

“I love talking to our members,” she said. “Some of them that aren’t even active anymore still call us. I feel very blessed to have this job.” LL