unearthed - March 2006

Sports fans reminded to call 811
In a move to inform homeowners and contractors of 811, SSOCOF has embarked on an aggressive sports advertising campaign running now through the end of 2007. The University of South Florida, Florida State University, University of Florida and the University of Miami will run radio commercials and in-house announcements during games. SSOCOF also placed radio, television, print and online ads as part of the South Florida High School Football Show in Broward and Dade Counties - including 10 ESPN commercial spots.

For NASCAR fans, SSOCOF will run 30-second spots on statewide Sunsports stations Fridays at 10 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 p.m. every weekend there is a NASCAR race.

Continuing are television traffic sponsorships on NBC 6, News Channel 8, NBC 15, WESH 2 and Telemundo 51 and radio spots in Jacksonville, Ft Pierce, Tallahassee, Orlando, Ft. Meyers, Panama City, West Palm Beach, Pensacola and Miami.

SSOCOF Director presented Mitch Ellington Award
Mike Woodall, SSOCOF director employed by John Woody, Inc., was awarded the Mitch Ellington Award at the Underground Utility Contractors of Florida's (UUCF) annual convention in July. The award is presented annually to a UUCF contractor member or employee of a member who has made a significant contribution to the industry on local and state levels.

Woodall has been the underground utility contractor representative on SSOCOF's Board of Directors since 2006 and also serves on the Utility Contractors Association of North Florida board. He received the UCA of North Florida President’s Award in 1997 and 2002; and was a recipient of the UUCF Andrew J. Mayts Award in 2002.

IrthNet saves money, promotes efficiency at Peoples Gas
When SSOCOF announced it was offering IrthNet free to its members, Peoples Gas made the switch and immediately experienced cost and time savings.

"The free IrthNet system SSOCOF is providing to its members is the most robust software on the market today," says Jeff Rodger, Damage Prevention Manager for Peoples Gas and SSOCOF Director. "We made the switch after hosting our own system, which was quite expensive. SSOCOF offers the full-blown version of IrthNet while other one-call centers offer only a scaled-down version." Read on for more of Rodger's comments.

What is the greatest feature of IrthNet for you and why?
There are a couple of "hot buttons." First, our locators love viewing the ticket and map with the dig site highlighted next to it. We enhanced this by adding a shape file of our pipeline locations on the map. Now locators see the dig site in a red box shown on a map that has our pipeline location on it. It allows them to clear tickets quickly. Secondly, we have used Irthnet's Auto-Assign function to define service territories within each city. As tickets come into the system, IrthNet reads the geographic location and automatically assigns them to the proper locate technician.

What is the greatest benefit of using IrthNet?
All of the technology, Internet connectivity, laptops in locators trucks and wireless cards enable locators to perform at their optimum efficiency. The economics of using the system, teamwork and efficiencies have outweighed everything else because the system is so powerful.

How has IrthNet simplified what you do?
Last year we received approximately 645,000 locate requests using three administrators and between 45-60 locating technicians. Amazing!

Has IrthNet produced money savings for your company?
Yes. We save approximately $75,000 to $100,000 a year by not hosting the system ourselves. Server capitalization and maintenance expense, back-up systems, IT support, security system, and telephone expenses are just the beginning. When we hosted our own version, telephone expenses were $1,200 a month alone. Maintenance contracts are about 15 percent of the system's initial cost plus the added cost of technical support. (Sunshine paid more than $300,000 for this software!)

What advice do you have for anyone considering using IrthNet, but just can't make that final commitment?
It is the most advanced system in the market today. The team at IrthSolutions continually re-invests in their products to stay on top of the market. Selecting them to be on your team is like having a home run hitter batting in the clean-up spot. Their integrity is second to none. They have the best tech support in the industry. They are Microsoft Solution Providers. SSOCOF is the best center in the nation. What better hands can you possibly place the most important part of your business in?

IrthNet is the online total ticket management system SSOCOF is offering its members free of charge. Developed by IrthSolutions, IrthNet allows users to easily manage every ticket using a computer and Internet connection.

If you have more questions or want to begin using IrthNet right away, contact Member Services at memberservices@callsunshine.com or (800) 651-6720.

Call center provides premium customer service all year
At SSOCOF, members and callers are number one, and we consistently strive to provide extraordinary service whether on the phone, over the Internet, or in person - year round. To demonstrate recognition and appreciation, SSOCOF celebrated Customer Service Week October 1 - 6, 2007. "Our employees' dedication, hard work and teamwork help make this a world class 811 call center," states Call Center Manager Ruby Crosier. "Customer Service Week allows us to officially recognize their efforts. We provided daily refreshments, some prizes, and SSOCOF logo shirts. These acts of appreciation help boost morale and motivation throughout the company."

Customer Service Week is a national event devoted to recognizing the importance of customer service and honoring the people on the front lines of the service industry. In 1992 the U.S. Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event, celebrated annually during the first full week in October.

Survey helps improve service to callers
SSOCOF offers a customer satisfaction survey for its callers to use to rate the service received while requesting a locate ticket over the phone and it gives them an opportunity to suggest any improvements. The surveys are reviewed by management and responded to as necessary. Complete a survey by clicking here. We thank you in advance for helping SSOCOF continue to be the best one call center in the nation