Contact Lens

Contact Lens
A Closer Look at USP's Contact Centre Operations
October 2022

October 2022 appears to be going very much like October 2021; namely, three full weeks of blissfully warm and pleasant weather, followed by an immediate snow dump and cessation of excavation. While this frigid state may not be long lasting (and in fact as you are reading this article, likely is no longer occurring), it definitively signals a harbinger for the end of the 2022 digging season.

It also however, marks the One Year Anniversary of USP's existence! Yes, the three-pronged grouping of Alberta One-Call, the Alberta Common Ground Alliance and the Where's The LINE? Campaign has reached an incredible milestone; a full year of operations and no sign in sight of slowing down! Over the last 12 months, USP has achieved many things, the short list being: a) the most locates in a 12 month period ever seen by USP/AOC; b) another landmark season where we have achieved another (incremental, but notable!) increase in the amount of Web requests placed vs. phones; and c) the successful expansion of our Ambassador Program and increased safety awareness across the province. Jointly promoting damage prevention both above ground and below, while retaining the key guidance of industry specialists allows USP to pivot towards a more encompassing Support experience for excavators in Alberta. 

Of course, autumn is most notable as the time where we begin to wind down front-end (Contact Centre) operations, and wind up all of our machinations and changes for the 2023 season! This year is of course no different, and we've got some exciting updates coming down the pipe, but the readers of this column will likely have to wait until next month for details. Until then, dig safe and always Click Before You Dig!

Josef Rosenberg – Contact Centre Manager, Utility Safety Partners