After Hours Answering Services

Forsyth County is seeking qualified vendors to provide After Hours Answering Services for the Department of Water and Sewer, covering the unincorporated county and City of Cumming service areas. The procurement seeks a contractor to handle approximately 70,410 customer accounts with capacity for 32 simultaneous incoming calls, focusing on 24/7 call answering and emergency dispatch services for the calendar years 2026-2028. Key service requirements include maintaining a dedicated account manager, adhering to specific scripted protocols, providing translation services for limited English proficient callers, and operating a redundant backup call center to ensure service continuity. The vendor must handle after-hours calls Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. and provide full coverage on weekends and county holidays, with an emphasis on prioritizing leak reports and emergency utility issues. Vendors must submit quotes electronically through EUNA Procurement by 2:00 p.m. EST on December 18, 2025, with a question submission deadline of 2:00 p.m. EST on December 4, 2025. Evaluation criteria include vendor qualifications, past performance, financial capacity, and responsiveness, with the county reserving the right to accept or reject any quotes.

The procurement does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Vendors must submit three professional references from similar contracts, complete a Non-Collusion Affidavit, provide an E-Verify Contractor Affidavit, and obtain a Forsyth County business license. The contract requires comprehensive insurance coverage, including workers' compensation, general liability ($1,000,000), automobile liability ($1,000,000), professional liability ($1,000,000), cyber liability ($1,000,000), and excess umbrella coverage ($3,000,000). While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, vendors must provide firm, fixed pricing for each calendar year (2026-2028), including a base monthly cost for up to 500 calls and itemized costs for additional calls. The contract includes provisions for automatic annual renewal and allows the county to terminate services with appropriate notice. Quoted prices must remain valid for 120 days from the invitation to quote opening date, with all costs, including travel and interpretation services, to be included in the submitted price.