RNR Consulting was contracted by the County of Riverside, to work with the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder (ACR) and the Treasurer-Tax Collector (TTC) to evaluate and define the requirements for a new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system that would serve both departments. The TTC Department had its own IVR system, while the ACR department utilized a legacy system that did not provide adequate service to County customers.

RNR Consulting conducted activities aimed at identifying the needs of the County as it pertains to the IVR system, as well as the expectations of such a system to achieve improved customer service. Our activities included creating, collecting, and analyzing surveys from County employees to gauge their feedback on the level of satisfaction with the current system. The surveys also encouraged staff recommendations, based upon customer experiences, regarding the features that the new system should include. RNR Consulting conducted interviews with customer service representatives as well as department managers to create a comprehensive overview of the County’s expectations of a new IVR solution.

RNR Consulting analyzed the County staffing levels in each department and studied the County’s ability to handle the incoming level of customer phone calls. RNR Consulting developed process maps which detailed each step in the customer service process. RNR Consulting also developed departmental maps which clearly outlined each department’s structure and the connectivity among each department’s offices and staff. This activity proved to be invaluable in assessing the County’s current environment and envisioning what the County would like to achieve through the new IVR solution.

By compiling and analyzing all of the information gathered, RNR Consulting was able to assist the County of Riverside in developing and issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a new IVR system. The RFP included detailed requirements to ensure that the new system was dynamic and flexible enough to meet the County’s needs.

After the publication of the RFP, RNR Consulting recommended a pre-bid meeting, and organized and conducted the meeting in conjunction with the County project committee. Such preliminary activities helped the County to anticipate and address potential bidder inquiries, and enabled the County to clarify its objectives to potential bidders to ensure competitive proposals covering all of the RFP requirements.

RNR Consulting also assisted the County in the preparation of proposal evaluations including qualitative and quantitative evaluation tools and parameters. RNR Consulting performed a thorough evaluation of vendor proposals received from the vendors, and short-listed the vendors by ranking them based upon evaluation parameters. The short-listed vendors performed technical and functional demonstrations of the proposed IVR systems, and RNR Consulting helped the city to evaluate vendor demonstrations to meet their business needs. RNR Consulting also performed vendor reference calls and technical evaluations. Upon completion of these activities, RNR Consulting developed a comprehensive report culminating all of the activities performed and devising a strategic recommendation to the County of Riverside to acquire the most efficient and suitable IVR solution.