OD_Reqs_-_Sec_9_-_Applicant_Services_-_Final_v_3_UPDATED_2-28-14.pdf

O&D Business Requirements

Section 9. Applicant Support Services

9.0 Overview

9.0.1 Purpose and Objectives

The Origination and Disbursement (O&D) Applicant Support Services (AS) shall fulfill FSA’s requirement to provide customer support to applicants, borrowers, and parents participating in the Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs supported by O&D. FSA has identified the following high level business objectives for the subsequent O&D contract:

• Reduce Cost

• Improve procedures for cost management and transparency

• Support the move to Self-Service interactions

• Ensure adaptability to new technologies and best practices

• Enable severability of major task/support areas from the current O&D umbrella contract

• Improve Disaster Recovery Procedures

• Provide more data transparency and robust reporting capabilities

9.0.2 Scope

O&D Applicant Support shall provide customer support services to applicants, borrowers, and parents requiring assistance with Federal Student Aid programs supported by O&D.

The Applicant Support Center shall be responsible for the following:

• Provide front-line inquiry and transaction support to students, borrowers, and parents regarding Direct Loans (including Direct Loan Consolidation) and TEACH Grants.

• Gauge customer satisfaction with the Applicant Support Center and proactively improve customer service by improving processes and procedures.

• Engage and support FSA with strategic planning, capacity planning, improving customer satisfaction, disaster recovery, and the identification of O&D system and/or process issues.

• Prepare and produce regular (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.) reports describing the volume and nature of contacts with the Applicant Support Center.

• Provide internal and external training support for O&D related functions, services, and procedures.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-1 Applicant Support Services

As shown in Figure 9-1 below, the Applicant Support staff shall receive, transfer (if appropriate), and resolve inquiries from students, borrowers, and parents. Applicant Support shall respond to and resolve inquiries in both English and Spanish via the following interaction channels:

• Phone

• Email

• Web Form – via Studenloans.gov and TEACH-ATS.ed.gov

• Postal / Physical Mail

• Fax

• Web Self-Service – In addition to using the Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVRU) system, users shall be able to view and check the status of their appeal online.

Figure 9-1: Applicant Support High Level Flow

9.0.3 O&D Architectural Framework

In this document, the GCC Team has divided customer service into two major areas, Applicant Support and School Support. This division supports FSA’s business objective to enable severability of major task areas under the current O&D umbrella contract and recognizes that Applicant Support and School Support serve two distinct audiences across significantly different scopes of support services.

Applicant Support includes the following subsections:

• Business Functional Requirements, which describes the core capabilities required by the Applicant Support center, and;

• Business Non-Functional Requirements, which describes the boundary conditions and/or the environment attributes required by the Applicant Support Center.

Customer Service (Applicant Support)

Inquirer (borrower) sends an inquiry requesting Loan and Grant information

CSR receives inquiry

800-557-7394

Online Web Form

Inquirer (borrower) receives response to inquiry

Tier 1,2,3 Inquiries

FSA RCC

Tier 4 Inquiries

Appropriate Customer Service/ Supervisor/SSC Management

Level/Vendor Management level personnel handle the inquiry as defined.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-2 Applicant Support Services

Figure 9-2 illustrates the role of the Applicant Support function in the Origination and Disbursement Process.

Figure 9-2: Role of Applicant Support within O&D

9.0.4 Case Volume

Figure 9-3 below shows the monthly inquiry volume handled by Applicant Support from 2011 and 2012. In 2012, Applicant Support handled over 1,050,000 inquiries, including over 628,000 calls and 426,000 emails. In 2013, phone inquiries are projected to decrease to roughly 600,000 calls while email case volume is projected to decrease to roughly 416,500 emails1.

1 Accenture. (2013, 1 11). COD Dashboard.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-3 Applicant Support Services

Figure 9-3: Inquiry Volume handled by Applicant Support Services (Source: FSA Contractor)

9.1 Business Functional Requirements

The following business functional requirements address the core capabilities that shall be required of the Applicant Support Center. Applicant Support shall cover Direct Loans, TEACH Grants, and Agreement to Serve applications, including the corresponding Applicant web sites, studentloans.gov, and TEACH-ats.ed.gov. Areas of support include:

• Inquiry and Transaction Support

• Engagement with FSA

• Identification and Resolution of Issues

9.1.1 Inquiry and Transaction Support

FSA requires support services on a range of topics in response to stakeholder inquiries across four communication support channels, including live calls, emails, online web forms, and physical mail. Support shall be structured in a 4-tier system of customer support and escalation, as follows.

• Tier 1: Inquiry handled at Customer Service Representative (CSR) level (Vendor level).

• Tier 2: Inquiry escalated to the CSR's supervisor or application service provider (Vendor level).

• Tier 3: Inquiry escalated to Applicant Support Center’s management level or Vendor’s management level (Usually resolving in change request execution that FSA would not be aware of or notified of, before implementation into the production environment).

• Tier 4: Inquiry escalated to FSA's RCC level.

Table 9-1 below provides a weekly snapshot of the most common call and email inquiry types.

Monthly Inquiry Volume Call & Email

FY2011 FY2012

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-4 Applicant Support Services

Table 9-1: Weekly Call and Email breakdown, Source: FSA Contractor

Applicant Support shall provide support services in the following topic areas:

• Direct Loan Support Services: Applicant Support shall respond to borrower’s inquiries concerning direct loan status, credit decisions, and the credit appeal process.

Applicant Support shall assist borrowers to resolve issues regarding credit decision issues and provide them with available alternatives. Calls received concerning loan status shall not be addressed by Applicant Support Services, but will be redirected to the appropriate school. Applicant Support shall transfer misdirected calls to the appropriate party by providing the correct telephone number or by utilizing the warm transfer feature through the phone system.

Applicant Services Call Reason Breakdown

Level 1 Level 2 % Direct Loan Direct Loan General Inquiry 11.58% PLUS Parent PLUS Inquiry 8.60% Credit Check Processing Credit Check General Inquiry 7.83% Credit Check Processing Credit Decision - Declined 7.23% Credit Check Processing Credit Appeal 6.32% Credit Check Processing Endorser General Inquiry 5.97% All Other 5.23% PLUS PLUS Application Walkthrough - Parent 5.20% Repayment Request Repayment Walkthrough 4.32% Repayment Request Repayment General Inquiry 4.32% MPN MPN General Inquiry 4.32% MPN MPN Walkthrough 3.34% Other Servicers 3.12% Direct Loan Loan Status - Consolidation 2.69% Counseling Entrance Counseling - General Inquiry 2.52% PLUS Grad PLUS Inquiry 2.52% Other Ghost Calls 2.46% Credit Check Processing Endorser Addendum Walkthrough 2.23% Direct Loan Loan Status - Disbursement 2.20% Direct Loan Loan Status - Repayment 2.03% MPN MPN on File 1.83% Direct Loan Loan Status - Cancellation 1.63% StudentLoans.gov PIN Inquiry 1.20% StudentLoans.gov StudentLoans.gov General Inquiry 1.17% Direct Loan Loan Status - Forebearance/Deferment 0.91% Repayment Request Repayment Problem 0.91% Counseling Exit Counseling Inquiry 0.83% MPN MPN Status 0.54% Correspondence Reprint 0.09%

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-5 Applicant Support Services

Applicant Support shall provide support to schools and borrowers with inquiries concerning Title IV Additional Servicers (loan servicers) by providing the appropriate TIVAS contact for a Direct Loan inquiry. Applicant Support shall support warm transfers to the TIVAS. FSA shall provide the telecommunications configurations between Applicant Support and the TIVAS to support the warm transfer capability.

• TEACH Support Services: Applicant Support shall respond inquiries concerning TEACH Grants. Calls on Grant status shall not be resolved by Applicant Support, but will be redirected to the appropriate school. Applicant Support shall transfer misdirected calls to the appropriate party by providing the correct telephone number or by utilizing the warm transfer feature through the phone system.

• ATS Support Services: Applicant Support shall provide Agreement to Serve (ATS) support to borrowers indicating that they are receiving an error on the ATS Web site. Applicant Support shall assist the student and/or redirect applicants to the appropriate call center for login errors.

• Promissory Notes and Endorser Addendum Support: Applicant Support shall direct applicants to the StudentLoans.gov Web Site or provide promissory notes and endorser addendums to borrowers upon request. Federal Student Aid shall provide Applicant Support access to the Ancillary Services imaging Web site to print promissory note and/or endorser addendums if copies are required.

• Federal Direct PLUS Support Services: Applicant Support shall provide support to applicants concerning Federal Direct PLUS Loans and, if appropriate, direct them to the StudentLoans.gov Web Site for supplemental information and/or to complete an application or Promissory Note.

A. Inquiry Receipt and Routing

Applicant Support inquiries shall be received through inbound calls, physical mail, and online web form or e-mail. After receipt and routing the inquiry to the appropriate CSR, service inquiries shall follow the procedures outlined in the next section.

B. Interaction Channels

The Applicant Support Center requires support for intake of new inquiries from the following interaction channels:

• Phone: Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) shall provide telephone support for routine and complex inquiries. These calls are generally from first-time callers and may require routing to another related helpdesk. Support shall be offered via the following lines:

o Parent Plus - 800-474-7268 or 800-557-7394 o Foreign School’s Line - 571-392-3737, this number shall provide support for countries without access to 800 lines.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-6 Applicant Support Services

• Email / Web Form: Parent Plus email inquiries shall be received directly via StudentLoanSupport@ed.gov or via the online form on the Studentloans.gov and TEACH-ATS.ed.gov websites. The online web form shall be processed, managed, and responded to using the same process as emails.

• Self-Service: Applicant Support Services shall provide the capability for self-service interactions. This method of service shall be promoted and accessible via the Applicant Web Module(s). The Applicant Support Center shall attempt to leverage any FSA enterprise-wide investments in enabling customers to view their account information, access their loan documents, and obtain guidance on working directly with their loan servicers to resolve issues.

Potential self-service enhancements include:

o Dynamic FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) o Agent Avatars o Self-Service IVRU o Online self-help videos

Users shall be able to view and check the status of their appeal online as well as through the IVRU system. The self-service functionality must be linked with the appropriate tracking organizations to ensure a real-time status of an applicant’s appeal.

• Postal / Physical Mail: Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) shall provide Physical Mail support for routine and complex inquiries Additionally, the Applicant Support Center shall provide and publicize a PO Box to receive and transmit physical mail. Note: The current Physical Mail address is P.O. Box 9002 Niagara Falls, NY 14302.

• Fax: The Applicant Support Center shall have the capability to receive and process inquiries by facsimile.

o General Fax Number: 877-623-5082 o Foreign School’s Fax: 716-284-6766

C. Additional Interaction Channels

In addition to the existing interaction channels described above, FSA is interested in evaluating new interaction channels that may offer more effective and cost-saving response mechanisms to customer inquiries. FSA is open to industry recommendations on new interaction channels, including the following:

• Self-Service Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVRU): Callers to the Applicant Support Center main phone number may be greeted by an IVRU, which provides general information for issue resolution and offers options to transfer to FSA’s contact center, to the Direct Loans contact center, or to FSA’s Default Resolution.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-7 Applicant Support Services https://email.ed.gov/OWA/redir.aspx?C=Hss92I_dTUqUZGtragpcDY1v90WfuM9IU6aus9B4BN4B6QvKupKoc15MNlkMYHHQ3H_Vkczc97M.&URL=mailto%3aStudentLoanSupport%40ed.gov

The IVRU should, at a minimum, provide self-service functionality during peak season that allows an applicant to check the status of their appeal. This should be delivered real-time and should be an entirely self-service process.

• Web Chat: From the studentloans.gov and TEACH-ATS.ed.gov websites, web chat capability could enhance the relationship with the customer via a virtual “walk-in” service.

• Voice Mail: Offer voicemail capability for stakeholders attempting to contact the Applicant Support Center after normal business hours. The voicemail would generate an email notification, which is then delivered to the FSA Applicant Support Center inbox for handling by Intake Specialists.

D. Technology Support for Key Interaction Channels

FSA requires the technology capability and tools necessary to enable the interaction channels identified above. This includes operations and maintenance of current and any potential new interaction channels.

E. Spanish Support

FSA requires support for Spanish-speaking inquirers across all interaction channels.

9.1.2 Engagement with FSA

Applicant Support Services shall collaborate and support various FSA engagement activities as defined below and as necessary throughout the life of the O&D contract. Engagement with FSA activities include:

• Provide a front line level of support to relay and report potential issues, projected spikes in volume, and any other potential changes in volume, labor, and level of effort.

• Work with FSA to develop and provide proactive monitoring procedures to improve quality of service, call quality assurance plans, and overall customer satisfaction.

• Provide necessary transparency to support center operations for defined FSA personnel through accurate, timely, and relevant data reporting as well as access to Business Intelligence (BI) related software and tools, CRM, etc.

• Provide a six-month notification and obtain FSA approval for any potential infrastructure changes that may require FSA to increase, decrease or transfer the existing support lines to provide FSA time to adjust requirements and planning for phone lines and involvement with other contractors.

• Provide, collaborate, and obtain approval of all knowledge management, publications and other written material before disbursing and publicizing such documentation and data.

• The vendor shall support reviews of the contact center IVR, in conjunction with FSA, at least 2 times a year.

• Host and support FSA staff in periodic site visits throughout the year.

• The vendor shall attend FSA hosted O&D meetings twice per year.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-8 Applicant Support Services

9.1.3 Identification and Resolution of Issues

• Engagement with O&D System - Applicant Support Services shall provide incident and problem resolution support for O&D system related inquiries.

Applicant Support shall provide a front-line view of new issues and relay issues to the appropriate staff in a timely manner.

9.2 Business Non-Functional Requirements

The requirements specified below apply to the boundary conditions or environment attributes required by FSA.

9.2.1 Hours of Operation

Table 9-2 below provides the recommended hours of operation for Applicant Support.

FSA is open to recommendations for optimal hours of operation as needed to achieve FSA’s business objectives and service levels. FSA expects all interaction channels to be available during these hours.

Applicant Support Center Support Hours of Operation

CATEGORY OPERATING STATUS

Hours of Operation:

Mon-Fri – 9:00am – 6:00pm EST Saturday – Closed Sunday – Closed

Federal Holidays: Closed on all Federal Holidays.

Table 9-2: Recommended Applicant Support Center Hours of Operation

9.2.2 Quality Control

FSA requires Applicant Support Services to provide internal quality control to ensure that inquiries are resolved in a timely, accurate, and effective manner. FSA desires to track quality control using the following methods:

• Call Monitoring – FSA requires all calls be recorded including Spanish calls.

Recorded calls shall have the capability to be transferred and listened to by FSA employees.

o Text Monitoring (Email) o Web site monitoring o IVRU

• Service Calibration – Applicant Support shall support reviews of the contact center IVR, in conjunction with FSA, at least 2 times a year.

• Customer Feedback Collection- FSA is currently developing a process to email a survey to callers after all phone inquiries. FSA intends to use this process in the future and is considering other feedback collection methods such as:

o Website Survey o IVRU Survey

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-9 Applicant Support Services

Survey feedback shall elicit information such as service accessibility, representatives’ knowledge, timeliness of case resolution, level of satisfaction with the resolution, and the level of overall satisfaction with the FSA. FSA may adjust the sampling size, questions, and interaction channel as needed to achieve its business objectives and for better alignment across FSA.

9.2.3 Training

Applicant Support shall provide O&D and customer service training support to Customer Service Representatives. Applicant Support shall be responsible for determining the type of training required and deliver the training to the customer service representatives.

A. Customer Service Representative Training Applicant Support shall conduct Customer Service training focusing on the O&D system and related systems, business and operational processes, help desk support and problem solving skills, as well as the basics of customer service, and exceptional telephone skills techniques. Applicant Support shall conduct Customer Service re-training when multiple complaints of mis-information or incorrect information are being reported by our schools and customers. In addition to conducting the above training, the contractor shall develop training scripts for each new system release or enhancement for FSA to review and approve. The approved scripts shall supplement CSR training for system changes and enhancements. Federal Student Aid shall provide 30-day notification as it relates to new information related to Customer Service when possible.

B. Computer Based Training

Applicant Support shall provide a Computer Based Training (CBT) Tool to train O&D Web site end users on the O&D Web site capabilities and associated business functions.

The tool shall provide high level overviews of the basic functionality of the O&D Web module, system reports, and ATS Web site information. The overviews shall be available on CD and uploaded to the IFAP Web site. Users of the Computer Based Training include schools, FSA, third party school servicers, and customer support. The CBT modules shall be updated after every major release of the O&D system (currently 3-4 times per year). The existing CBT’s are useful; however, FSA would like to see the existing CBT’s significantly enhanced in terms of training capability. FSA would like a training solution that is more interactive and not limited to solely screen shots of the websites.

9.2.4 Service Levels

FSA requires agreed upon service levels as operational targets for such activities as time to answer phone calls, caller wait time, etc. In addition, FSA is open to recommendations for appropriate service levels to achieve the following business needs:

• Reduce call handle time

• Reduce Cost

• Improve Self-Service Interactions

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-10 Applicant Support Services

• Ensure that all outages be reported by a predetermined timeframe, (ideally 15-20 minutes).

Contractually, the current vendor is required to meet and report upon a predefined list of Service Level Agreements (SLA). To view these SLAs, please refer to Appendix D of this document. FSA intends to supplement the existing SLAs to better support the business needs described above. Table 9-3 below provides a snapshot of currently captured Customer Service metrics.

Table 9-3: Weekly Snapshot of existing Customer Service Metrics

9.2.5 Knowledge Management

FSA requires Applicant Support to use integrated customer service tools to ensure a consistently accurate and efficient response to customer inquiries. At a minimum, the Knowledge Management System (KMS) will house pre-approved responses to common inquiries as well as provide a quick source for Applicant Support personnel to find appropriate responses to any potential customer inquiry. The KMS shall be continuously updated with the most recent information of pre-approved responses. All customer history and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) data shall be owned by FSA and provided to FSA upon request.

9.2.6 508 Compliance FSA requires that all lines and supporting Websites be 508 compliant.

9.2.7 Security Requirements

Applicant Support and all supporting CSR’s shall meet and maintain all security requirements as defined by FSA, including, but not limited to, the following:

• FSA Security Clearance for all CSR agents in order to access to FSA systems such as O&D, NSLDS, SAIG, etc.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-11 Applicant Support Services

9.2.8 Management of Volume Fluctuations

FSA requires the Applicant support center to manage resources as needed to efficiently and effectively respond to seasonal fluctuations in call volume so as to maintain the service standards for performance while minimizing operational costs. Figure 9-3 above displays the monthly total inbound calls in 2011 and 2012 depicting the seasonal fluctuations in call volume.

9.2.9 Document Retention

FSA requires that records remain accessible for CSR’s for four years. Any retention plan shall be in compliance with FSA policies and procedures regarding data retention.

9.2.10 Reporting and Data Analytics

The Applicant Support Center shall provide daily, weekly, and monthly reports encompassing metrics such as call volume and type of contacts received. These reports provide insight and enable effective operational and strategic planning throughout the Applicant Support Center function. Additionally, FSA shall have access to data for analysis of reporting and the ability to run ad-hoc reports for continuous improvement in service.

A. Customer Awareness

FSA requires the ongoing understanding of customer needs and a periodic review of the effectiveness of its interaction channels. FSA anticipates that evolving customer needs and technologies in the marketplace may necessitate new interaction channels and/or services over time.

B. Data Analytics

The FSA Applicant Support Center seeks improved data collection, analysis, and reporting capability to identify trends and issues quickly and accurately. This includes being able to capture more than one issue category for multi-dimensional analysis. With better insight, the Applicant Support Center can provide targeted feedback to key stakeholders such as FSA, Loan Servicers, and others in the student aid industry. In addition, better insight can help Applicant Support Center management identify opportunities for improvement in its own service delivery.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-12 Applicant Support Services

9.3 Key Technology Requirements

9.3.1 Access to FSA Systems, Websites, and Servicer Systems

Applicant Support CSRs shall use a variety of tools to research a stakeholder’s inquiry and provide expert and thorough advice. A description of the tools that shall be available to a CSR to resolve an inquiry is shown below:

• O&D Web Module – The O&D Web shall be used to access and view loan and grant information of a student borrower as well as school originations and disbursements.

• CPS Inquiry – The tool provided by Vangent’s Central Process System (CPS) team that enables CSRs to view a student’s application records.

• SAIG Website – This allows the CSRs to view the contents of a user’s mailbox and to restore files to the mailbox.

• G5- Provides financial management support services for each Title IV program and provides online capability to:

o Request payments o Adjust drawdowns

9.3.2 Enabling and Emerging Technologies

FSA requires consistent evaluation and consideration of industry tools that may help improve customer service and reduce cost over time. Evolving customer demand and technologies may necessitate a change in supporting technologies and FSA requires the Applicant Support Center to stay abreast of new and innovative technologies, and implement such technologies as deemed appropriate by FSA.

FSA is open to emerging technologies that may help reduce cost while maintaining or improving customer service, such as:

• Cloud-based technology;

• Social media; and,

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-13 Applicant Support Services

9.4 Technical Architecture

9.4.1 Disaster Recovery:

Applicant Support Services shall not be concentrated in one geographical area for disaster recovery purposes. FSA intends to promote competition and improve disaster recovery procedures by positioning Applicant Support Services centers and disaster recovery centers throughout the United States. The Disaster Recovery plan shall be in place for short, medium, and long term events. Applicant Support shall conduct an annual disaster recovery test to assess and measure the recovery teams’ ability to notify and assemble the business resumptions teams; route incoming calls to the Customer Support recovery facility; and access the O&D System from the recovery facility.

9.4.2 Capacity Planning

Capacity Planning shall assess the capacity of Applicant Support Operations to meet the ongoing and fluctuating support demands/volume based on the current utilization and estimated future volume. Capacity Planning shall also assess the required capacity/support necessary to maintain and improve upon approved service level standards. This includes an attempt to identify capacity utilization improvements for the purpose of helping to reduce future requirements.

Federal Student Aid, O&D To-Be Requirements 9-14 Applicant Support Services