ESBD_417381_1746805172968_RFP 2025.04 Inbound Call Center Services.pdf

RFP 2025.04

College Inbound Call Center Services

RFP Contact Cara Green

Purchasing Manager purchasing@brazosport.edu

979-230-3214

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Table of Contents

Section 1 Overview

Section 2 Call Center Service Requirements

Section 3 Proposal Requirements

Section 4 Proposal Pricing Form

Section 5 Required Response Documents

Section 6 General Terms and Conditions

Section 7 Evaluation Process

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Section 1 Overview

1.1 Introduction

Brazosport College (BC), located on 156 acres in Lake Jackson, Texas, invites qualified vendors to submit proposals for outsourced call center services. This initiative aims to enhance BC’s responsiveness, customer service, and capacity to manage call volume across key student services.

Founded in 1968, BC offers a range of two- and four-year degree programs, workforce certificates, and university transfer opportunities. BC has been recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the top 10 community colleges in the nation and was named the Safest College Campus in Texas and one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Yet Affordable College Campuses.

1.2 Submission of Proposal

To be considered a responsive offer, proposals may be submitted electronically using the current electronic bidding system, utilized by the College; Euna Solutions/Ion Wave.

Manual/ paper submissions are acceptable and may be mailed or hand delivered in a sealed envelope on the forms provided. They will be received in the office of the Purchasing Manager, 500 College Drive Room C-127, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566, until 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at which time said proposal will be publicly opened and read. Manual/paper proposals must be sealed and clearly marked on the outside, “RFP 2025.04 College Inbound Call

Center Services. Attention: Purchasing Manager.” Proposers submitting proposals should be careful to see that the appropriate proposal form is used. Email or fax transmittal of bids will not be accepted.

1.3 Approval

This procurement is subject to approval by the BC Board of Regents. Subsequent to Board approval, the only person authorized to commit BC contractually is the President or designee.

1.4 Award Term

It is BC’s intention to utilize the Call Center for an initial one-year period with the option to renew for four (4) additional one-year terms without competitive proposals, with the option of month-to-month, as desired.

1.5 Obligation

This Request for Proposal does not obligate BC to award a contract or pay any costs incurred by the respondent in the preparation and/or submittal of a submittal.

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1.6 Calendar of Events

Listed below are the dates and times by which stated actions must be taken or completed. If

Brazosport College determines, in its sole discretion, that it is necessary to change any of the dates and times, a formal Addendum to this RFP will be issued and distributed through

Brazosport College’s electronic bidding system. All listed times are applicable local times for

Lake Jackson, Texas in accordance with Central Standard Time (CST).

Action Date/ Time

Issue RFP/ 1st Advertisement Friday, May 9, 2025 prior to 11 a.m.

2nd Advertisement Sunday, May 18, 2025

RFP Questions Due Wednesday, June 11, 2025 prior to 2 p.m.

Response to Questions in Formal Addendum (If Any) Thursday, June 12, 2025 prior to 2 p.m.

RFP Due Date Wednesday, June 18, 2025 by 2 p.m.

RFP Committee review proposals June 2025

Virtual Interviews/ Presentations TBD

Notice of selection and award TBD

Contract negotiations and execution TBD

Board of Regents approval TBD

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Section 2 Call Center Service Requirements The selected vendor will provide comprehensive call center services that reflect Brazosport

College’s commitment to student success. Services must include, but are not limited to:

2.1 General Call Center Operations

.1 Manage inbound calls (17,176 calls in 2024) including overflow during peak periods.

.2 Operate as BC’s primary switchboard, accurately routing calls and minimizing wait times.

.3 Maintain up-to-date knowledge of college services, events, and key deadlines.

.4 Deliver high-quality customer service that reflects the college’s standards.

2.2 Admissions and Registration Support

.1 Answer general questions on admissions requirements, registration, transcript submissions, and residency documentation.

.2 Guide students through the online application and registration process using myBC.

.3 Alert students to registration barriers (e.g., missing TSI scores, documents).

.4 Provide general information on FAFSA, scholarships, deadlines, and required documentation.

.5 Help students view their financial aid status and disbursement timelines via myBC.

.6 Refer students to Financial Aid staff for document issues, appeals, or complex inquiries.

.7 Share basic information on testing options (TSI, CLEP, proctoring).

.8 Schedule appointments for counseling and testing services.

.9 Direct students to counseling services or testing administrators as needed.

2.3 Paying for College

.1 Respond to general questions regarding tuition, fees, payment deadlines, and installment plans.

.2 Guide students through the process of setting up a payment plan or making online payments.

.3 Refer students to the Business Office for billing discrepancies, refunds, and holds related to unpaid balances.

.4 Provide information about financial literacy resources or workshops available through the

College.

.5 Assist students in navigating the Paying for College section of the BC website to access up-to-date cost and aid information.

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2.4 General Student Support

.1 Provide information on academic support services, including:

a. Student Success Center: Offers free tutoring in math and writing, quiet study spaces, and access to student computers.

b. Writing Center: Assists with reading, writing, and speaking skills, including assignment support and feedback.

c. Math Center: Provides tutoring and support to enhance problem-solving and logic skills.

d. Supplemental Instruction (SI): Peer-led study sessions for science courses to improve study skills collaboratively.

.2 Direct students to Student Mentors who offer guidance and insights to ensure a smooth college journey.

.3 Inform students about Student Wellness and Basic Needs services, such as:

a. Gator Mart: The student food pantry addressing food insecurity.

b. Student Support Fund: Emergency aid for unforeseen circumstances impacting educational goals.

c. Housing and Rental Assistance, Utility Assistance, and Transportation Support.

.4 Guide students to Student Life resources, including:

a. Fitness Loft: Access to fitness facilities.

b. The Swamp: Recreational hub with games and social activities.

c. Student Organizations: Opportunities for campus involvement and leadership.

.5 Assist students in accessing Virtual Campus Support for technical assistance with online courses.

.6 Provide information on Disability Services and accommodations available to support students with disabilities.

.7 Guide students through basic IT functions such as password reset, student account issues, or redirecting to the IT HelpDesk.

.8 Refer students to appropriate departments for additional support services as needed.

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2.5 Emergency Preparedness & Response

.1 Staff must be trained in BC’s emergency protocols.

.2 In emergencies, callers must be immediately directed to 911 and escalated to Campus

Safety.

a. Accurately log emergency calls with the following:

b. Caller name and contact information

c. Location of incident

d. Nature/severity of emergency

e. Number impacted

f. Immediate threats/hazards

g. Status of 911 notification

.3 Act as an emergency information contact during weather events or campus disruptions

(e.g., class cancellations, reopening schedules).

2.6 Hours of Operation

.1 Standard hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:00 AM–6:30 PM; Friday, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM

CST.

.2 Extended coverage required during peak registration and financial aid periods.

.3 Availability for emergency messages (recorded or live) during closures.

2.7 Minimum Qualifications

.1 Proven experience in higher education call center support.

.2 Demonstrated ability to manage seasonal call volume fluctuations.

.3 Staff trained in FERPA and emergency response protocol.

.4 Bilingual staff preferred (English/Spanish).

.5 Technology infrastructure to ensure secure, high-quality, and compliant communication.

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Section 3 Proposal Requirements

3.1 The Call Center Service Proposal must include the following information:

.1 Executive Summary

.2 Company Background & Relevant Experience

.3 Approach to Staffing, Training, and Quality Assurance

.4 Detailed Work Plan

.5 Pricing Structure (flat rate, per-call, hybrid)

.6 Technology Capabilities (call logging, reporting, security)

.7 Sample Reporting Dashboard

.8 References (minimum of three current or former higher education clients)

.9 Transition Plan & Timeline for Implementation

3.2 The Proposal should also address the below questionnaire

.1 General

a. Provide a detailed description of your organization’s experience in handling inbound calls on behalf of other community colleges and specify which areas you provide support services.

b. Describe your approach in providing data for assessing operational effectiveness, as well as your ability to contribute data and recommendations that can be used to improve overall efficiency for the institution. Provide real examples of monthly reports (standard and custom) that your company provides to current college clients. Provide the delivery method in which these reports are provided (Excel, Web, Email, etc.)

c. Discuss how your company would work with BC staff on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis to share data, transfer phone calls, resolve customer complaints, track and compile data for operating reports and management review.

d. Provide real examples of the service standards you maintain for current colleges’ customers (i.e., abandon rate, call completion rate, average speed of answer, etc.).

e. Capacity Volume: The vendor’s equipment and staffing must be capable of supporting the call volume for a college with a headcount of 4,000 per semester with an allowance for an increase of 15% over projected volumes during peak times which would be December – January and July - September. Provide a detailed explanation of how you currently meet equipment and staffing needs for your current college customers.

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f. Security: The vendor is responsible for ensuring that BC’s communication systems being accessed by vendor staff are secure and protected from unauthorized access. Standard security measures must be taken to control access to software and information at all times. The vendor must show proof of a secure data environment and must describe in detail their standards for security of information and systems that comply with the Texas Department of Information

Resources including Texas Risk and Authorization Management Program (TX-

RAMP) standards.

g. Describe your company’s implementation timelines and process for your current college call center customers. Include information about comprehensive training of staff and a realistic timeline for implementation of services for BC.

h. A minimum of three references should be provided from Texas community colleges (preferably) that are currently being served and utilize the Anthology

Student Information System, specifically Anthology Student and Anthology

Reach.

.2 Staffing

a. Describe the methods used to evaluate staff knowledge of financial aid processes and regulations at both the state (Texas) and federal.

b. Describe the processes used to evaluate staff for knowledge and compliance with

FERPA regulations. Additionally, provide a detailed account of your organization's experience with and understanding of FERPA regulations and compliance practices.

c. Provide evidence of customer service training of the vendor’s staff to include policy, amount of training and how training is evaluated.

d. Describe the methods used to assess staff proficiency and expertise with the

Anthology Student Information System.

.3 System Support

a. Describe and provide supporting documentation demonstrating how your service or application integrates with the Anthology Student Information System.

b. Provide technical requirements, if necessary, for integrating with or connecting to the Anthology Student Information System.

c. Provide a detail list of BC system access requirements to provide call center service.

d. Provide documented Personal Identifiable Information (PII) access management policy, process, and practice.

e. Provide documentation outlining your overall data security and access practices.

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f. Provide documentation explaining the security options available with your service.

g. Demonstrate that security measures are in place to ensure safety and confidentiality of student data to include both paper and intranet.

h. Provide documentation of your data destruction process, policy, and practice.

i. Indicate whether your company permits the use of home-based call center staff.

i. If so, describe how the home-based agents monitored for data security purposes?

ii. In addition, describe how the home-based agents are secured to the internet and your applications?

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Section 4 Proposal Pricing Form

PREPARATION OF RESPONSE TO THE SUBJECT RFP

a. BC desires to minimize the submission of unnecessary RFP material. Interested firms are limited to 20 pages (not including cover letter, appendices, or required BC attachments). The cover letter shall not exceed two (2) pages in length, summarizing key points in the submittal.

b. Additional pages may be attached to better define requirements defined in Section 3 within the limits provided.

c. Price proposals shall be submitted using the subject form provided. Additional comments may be added on attached vendor pages if necessary.

d. Set Up Fees

e. Inbound call center support for all services:

$ ____________________________per call

$ ____________________________per minute

f. Pricing remains firm for the full contract term, including renewal periods? Yes OR No

g. What percentage will the pricing increase if not fixed for the full contract

Term and state the frequency increases may be anticipated. %

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Section 5 Required Response Documents The Required Forms are available in the “Attachments” section of the BC electronic bidding system, Ionwave/Euna Solutions.

In addition to the proposal requirements and questionnaire response, each respondent must complete and return the following documents:

• Proposal Form

• Proof of Insurance

• Company W-9

• Conflict of Interest Questionnaire Form

• If applicable: Exceptions: Any exceptions taken to the subject Request for Proposal must be submitted with the proposal response and clearly identified in a separate section called

“Exceptions”

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Section 6 General Terms and Conditions The General Terms and Conditions are available in the “Attachments” section of the BC electronic bidding system, Ionwave/Euna Solutions.

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Section 7 Evaluation Process An Evaluation Committee (Committee) will review all proposals to determine which vendors have qualified for consideration according to the criteria stated herein. The Committee’s evaluations will be based on all available information, including proposal statements, subsequent interviews, if necessary, reports, discussions, reference checks, and other appropriate checks.

Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria and Points Available Points

Experience and qualifications 25

Comprehensiveness of services and alignment with BC needs. 25

Cost effectiveness and clarity of pricing 20

Technical and operational capability 15

References and client satisfaction 10

Emergency preparedness and compliance protocols 5

Total Points 100