Kansas City-based Call Center staff helps co-ops ensure positive experience and expert support for their subscribers
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 25, 2020 – Rural fiber-optic network design and construction management leader Conexon has extended its end-to-end services for electric cooperatives offering fiber broadband to their members with its Network Operations, Engineering and Call Center Support.
Conexon’s Network Operations Center (NOC) and Call Center, based in the company’s downtown Kansas City headquarters, offer electric co-op broadband providers a full suite of back-office functions supported by experienced network engineers. The operation’s co-op veterans have experience building call centers from the ground up and successfully operating networks for electric co-ops.
The NOC and Call Center offer technical support to troubleshoot, identify and isolate issues, determine outages, dispatch technicians if needed, and quickly and effectively resolve subscribers’ issues. With full visibility inside the co-op’s network down to the subscriber level, the support team is equipped to troubleshoot at the deepest level, helping subscribers one on one and ultimately increasing overall customer satisfaction.
“We knew when we started the FTTH project, we didn’t have the personnel or expertise needed to support our members,” Al Simpson, CEO of Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative and subsidiary WAVE Rural Connect said. “Finding a partner who would treat our members with the same level of service they’ve come to expect from the electric side was the top priority. It was no secret that Conexon had the technical expertise and history of building first-class FTTH projects, and the team there has proven itself able to treat our members as its own.”
Conexon’s NOC and Call Center are intended to serve as an extension of co-op operations in a way that’s transparent to subscribers who may call in needing assistance. Knowing their members and subscribers will receive a high level of “customer service” allows the co-ops to confidently enter the complex and multi-faceted broadband marketplace without having to staff these highly technical positions. For organizations offering broadband today with limited engineering support staff, the Center can offer second and third shift support to prevent any lapse in customer support.
“Conexon’s Call Center has proven to be a valuable extension of our team,” Sean Vanslyke, CEO of Missouri’s SEMO Electric Cooperative and GoSEMO Fiber said. “Conexon treats our subscribers like we expect in the cooperative world. We have high expectations. Our first attempt with another call center didn’t work so we switched to Conexon. Our partnership will help us grow and retain our existing subscribers.”
“Electric co-ops are often dependent on third-party call centers that don’t understand the nature of their business, and often can’t go beyond answering a call,” said Andy Burger, Conexon vice president of operations. “We have a very proficient staff, some of whom have built and/or operated fiber networks and call centers for over a decade. They possess the specific expertise for efficient resolution, while maintaining the highest level of customer satisfaction.”
