CALL CENTER SERVICES

Spartanburg Community College (SCC) is seeking a comprehensive call center services provider through a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority's Division of Procurement Services. The solicitation requires a vendor to provide 24/7 call center services across five campuses, handling inbound and outbound communications via phone, email, chat, and text for prospective and current students. The contractor must support over 6,000 annual students, managing inquiries related to financial aid, admissions, registration, student accounts, IT help desk, and records services. Key performance standards include maintaining an average speed to answer of 33 seconds, maximum hold time of 3 minutes, 100% live operator answer rate, and 8% maximum abandonment rate. Language support must include English, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Russian, with capacity to handle approximately 6,300 monthly calls and 4,000 delinquent account collections. The procurement timeline includes a pre-proposal conference on May 3, 2024, question submissions due by May 7, 2024, and proposal submissions due June 7, 2024, with award notification anticipated on July 24, 2024. Vendor evaluation will prioritize staffing plans and program approach, followed by experience and qualifications, technology requirements, and pricing.

The call center contract requires complete integration with SCC's existing systems, including Ellucian Colleague Student Information System, Salesforce CRM, and Segra Phone System. All data processing and storage must occur within the continental United States, with Canadian operations permitted. The contract structure provides a one-year initial term with four optional one-year renewals, creating a potential maximum five-year contract period from August 3, 2024, to August 2, 2029. Pricing is structured with an annual fee ranging between $16,000-$25,000 monthly, with the current incumbent vendor, F/A Solutions, not being renewed. Vendors must demonstrate compliance with security and data protection requirements, including FERPA regulations, and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage with $5 million per occurrence and $10 million aggregate limits for information security and privacy liability. The procurement requires vendors to be registered South Carolina vendors and provide evidence of financial capability, relevant higher education experience, quality management plans, and performance metrics. While specific award value is not definitively stated, the annual budget range suggests a total contract value potentially between $192,000 and $300,000 annually.