Contact Lens
A Closer Look at AOC’s Contact Centre Operations
March 2021
By Josef Rosenberg, AOC
Spring is…well it’s not quite here yet, but the signs are here that we might see an “early” Canadian spring this year. Yes, the grass is brown, the roads are dusty, but the fact that we can see either of these things without digging through a foot of snow/rocks/ice/etc. is a sure sign that soon jays will be fighting with magpies for nesting sites, roughly a half billion tons of rocks will be swept off the roads, and everyone across the country will start to break out the allergy medication.
Spring is a time of promise, a time of renewal, and most importantly, a time of planning. The digging season lies just ahead of us, like a giant stirring from a months-long slumber it looms large on the horizon. Excavators are drawing up plans for coming developments, homeowners are budgeting in anticipation of various maintenance projects, and Alberta One-Call begins its annual process of vetting, hiring and training new staff to shore up our barracks.
I’m happy to report that as of the time of this writing, we have had an extremely successful hiring cycle and are in the preparatory stages as we gear up for training. New trainees will be whisked away to exotic locales.¹ They will be dazzled by interesting facts.² They will have an opportunity to enjoy a classroom experience unlike any they have ever seen.³
After a two-week classroom stint, prospective agents will be paired with an experienced AOC agent to learn the ropes in a live environment. Using the latest in teleconferencing technology, the agents will be able to safely interact remotely, but in an environment so immediate that it will be like they were in the same office together.
Once completed, the newly minted DPA (damage prevention associate) will step out on the (virtual) floor, ready to conquer the world.⁴ Truly spring is a wondrous time of year, and I look forward to the new challenges it brings every season.
¹They get to stay at their home. ²Learn the ins-and-outs of AOC’s day to day business. ³They will spend two weeks in a virtual classroom with me, which is an experience no one should miss. ⁴Facilitate locates for Alberta’s excavators, homeowners and utility owners.