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The Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) provides critical IT support to more than 500,000 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staff with a goal of providing an exceptional customer experience, every time, 24×7. On a typical day, ESD agents field an average of 7,326 calls, with a satisfaction rate of 98.5 percent. As the single point of contact for requesting IT services and reporting IT incidents, the ESD marks the 10-millionth customer service call as a reflection of the scale of its responsibility to ensure VA delivers the services and benefits to Veterans they deserve.
On May 9, 2022, ESD agent Garrett Williams received the momentous 10-millionth call from a VA employee located in San Francisco, Calif., to assist with a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) exemption. Mr. Williams swiftly assessed the situation and granted the type of PIV exemption needed and the staff member resumed his duties with minimal downtime.
Mr. Williams has been an ESD agent for four years, and he understands the value of delivering efficient and easy solutions for staff needing IT assistance. Mr. Williams says he strives to be empathetic when taking a call, putting himself in the customer’s shoes to provide quality care. He continues to expand his knowledge of IT issues that most affect VA employees, leading to faster resolutions. “There are doctors and other employees that need your assistance with patients, and there are real stakes on the line. For me personally, I feel a sense of urgency and find great fulfillment being able to help resolve IT issues,” Garrett said.
The ESD team continues to implement enhancements to their processes that support their ongoing drive to continually improve the customer experience. Among these include connecting end users to an ESD agent much quicker, 60 to 90 seconds on average, and an improved callback feature that holds their place in line, with a 96 percent efficacy rate. And, the ESD had a big role in the success of the Personal Pronoun Project — OIT has manually processed more than 21,000 pronouns for staff members’ display names.
The 10-millionth customer service call isn’t just a milestone for the ESD — it’s another testament to the team’s ongoing dedication to delivering a delightful end user experience.
