Overview

Our central customer care center (CCC) ensures that all PPS patients receive exceptional service for the entire length of their therapy. While the local staff at each center provides on-the-ground personalized service for patients and physicians, the CCC complements the centers by providing ongoing systematic follow-up and education for patients as well as contacting physician's offices for recertification and other required paperwork.

Locations

The customer care center is located in beautiful Lexington, Kentucky. Situated in a light industrial area, the CCC is within close proximity of Lexington's primary roads as well as two interstates. Several comfortable hotels accommodate visitors nearby and Bluegrass Airport is only 15 minutes away. The larger cities of Louisville and Cincinnati are both just over an hour drive from Lexington.

Primary Roles

The team at the CCC is divided into several focused groups. Each group has a specific and important role to play in serving our customers. For example, we have patient-focused groups that actively contact our oxygen and nebulized medication patients, as well as answer phone calls from our patients. We also have a group that works with our centers to make sure that we have all the paperwork we need for insurances.

• Customer Care Representatives
  Customer care representatives (CCRs) are the front line for patient and medical professional phone calls. They actively reach out to patients and caregivers to answer questions and to inquire about the need for additional supplies. They are always available to answer questions about respiratory supplies and services. CCRs also process orders for equipment, supplies, or medication refills, and follow up with patients to confirm delivery.
• Customer Care Team Leads
  The senior customer care representatives, or "team leads," provide coaching and support to their team of CCRs. They monitor call quality and track results to ensure that patients, caregivers, medical professionals, and the PPS team receive exceptional service. They also oversee responses to assorted requests, account research, and document processing.
• Customer Care Supervisors
  Customer care supervisors provide daily guidance and motivation to their teams to ensure exceptional service. They are responsible for hiring and managing CCRs, including scheduling and timekeeping. Supervisors assist with and respond to internal and external customer requests and inquiries, as well as serve as subject matter experts for product lines and related processes.

A Day in the Life of a Customer Care Representative

By Valerie Gray, Customer Care Representative

"Good Morning! It's a beautiful day here at PPS. I hope you have had your morning coffee and prepared yourself for the first round of today's calls. Don't forget to check your email to stay aware of the special needs of our centers and any changes in policy. It's a good idea to check the PPS Intranet for any new postings and to make sure you have access to the most recent information available.

"Our patients are a unique bunch of individuals who require a smile, a few kind words, and our willingness to not only listen to their needs, but to act in a timely and efficient manner. It's our job to answer all their calls and to make sure that if we can't help, we find someone who can. During our day we also speak with co-workers from other locations across the country. The representatives in our local cCenters are on our front lines,— not only do they talk to our patients, but they are also face -to -face with them. They know that when we are calling, it's because we generally have one more problem for them to resolve. So, with a second cup of coffee at hand, we work hard to make their job easier where possible.

"Around lunch it's time to keep a closer eye on that email inbox, as centers and employees slip out the door for an hour. We keep tabs on their patients for them by placing orders, emailing phone messages, and rerouting emergency calls to meet their specific needs. Not to worry though, your own lunch is around the corner and when you come back, things will have settled down.

"It's now late afternoon and all of our centers are back into the swing of things. Technicians are on their way to concerned patients. It's our job to deal with tank shortages, and centers in earlier time zones have begun closing for the day. As the sun begins to set we are still here working hard to complete all of our outbound calls for the day. As things begin to quiet down we'll have a few moments of available time between calls to focus on paperwork and delete all of those old emails.

"The end of the day has arrived and we are all ready to go home. It's time to send off those last couple messages, report our call activity for the day, and unplug our headsets until tomorrow. It's been a busy day here at the PPS customer care center, but we've helped patients get the care they deserve, we've handled emergencies, we've fixed mistakes. It's time to wash out that coffee mug. See you again tomorrow!"

A Day in the Life of a Team Lead

By Brett Wooten, Team Lead

"While in the position of team lead, one is responsible for assisting the supervisors in both monitoring and assisting the reps with any questions or problems that they may have, as well as providing the supervisors with any assistance that they may need. As a team lead for the inbound oxygen function, there are several different things that are required of me throughout the day. On average, I will spend around one to two hours every day auditing the recorded calls that have been handled by the inbound reps. I will also try to spend an hour or so sitting alongside the reps as they are taking calls so that I can both observe how they are handling their calls and answer any questions they may have or assist them with any problems they may encounter. During the rest of the day, I walk through the various inbound teams so that I can monitor the reps and be available should they have a question or need my assistance in handling an issue.

"Ordinarily, there will be meetings twice a week for the inbound function, where we discuss any new problems that we have run into or any new processes that have been introduced. In the lead position, I am responsible for presenting the information in these meetings, as well as ensuring that there is adequate coverage on the phones so that we do not miss any of the patient calls. Additionally, in the lead position, I assist my supervisor or any of the other supervisors with any tasks that they need me to do."

A Day in the Life of a Customer Care Center Supervisor

By Tommy Leach, Customer Care Supervisor

"A day as a supervisor in the customer care center is never dull. In our effort to provide the best possible care to our patients, we have our hands in many areas that impact their care. As an inbound call supervisor, we are charged with having our representatives prepared and ready to take each call in a timely manner. As unique situations present themselves, we support our staff by conducting training sessions, informational team meetings, and coaching. In addition, we support our staff by creating and updating reference tools for easy, quick access to useful center-specific instructions and contact information.

"For quality standards, call audits and emails are reviewed and results are shared in monthly one-on-one meetings with each representative. During these sessions, items done well are recognized and reinforced, while those that need improvement are discussed. We also research center and patient complaints in order to correct mistakes made and to prevent future occurrences.

"On the business side, reporting is an important daily activity. Numerous reports are prepared to share with the management team. These reports include data like total number of calls (which range between 2,000 and 3,000 daily), hold times, wrap-up times, and break times. We are also responsible for maintaining proper staffing levels by managing time-off requests and payroll records for our teams of 16–20 representatives. Other projects present themselves from time to time, such as new processes, system enhancements, and acquisitions.

"As you can see, we are engaged in some sort of interaction the better part of the day. Each day is unique, depending on the calls received and patient location. At the end of the day, we reflect on what went well and note what can be improved, to ensure that patient care is always improving."

Read about other careers at PPS

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"In my position as a Senior Representative at the Lexington CCC, I most enjoy the opportunity to work with the entire team. The fact that I can move around and interact with other reps as I help them resolve issues has enabled me to create a good working relationship with everyone here. The chance to experience a variety of inbound calls and see the progression of the team as we add more training and processes is very exciting. I feel this helps bring the entire site together as a team to work toward the bigger picture of what we do at the CCC."

- Matt Varney, Sr. Customer Care Rep IV, Inbound Calls

"Since I joined Pacific Pulmonary Services, I have learned that there are many patients out there waiting for us to call them and take care of their needs. I now know that this is not like any call center, and we are unique from any other company. It is truly a customer care center, because we are concerned about our patients. I greatly enjoy being a customer care rep on the inbound line. Although it is challenging, I love it because I never know what the calls are going to be about. Whether it is a doctor's office or a patient, it makes me feel great knowing that I helped them with their issues. The fact that many patients are so thankful about the services they are receiving makes this job very rewarding.

- Jessica Carbajal, Customer Care Rep II, Inbound Calls

"I think the core value of fun is definitely expressed through the people who work here. Fun is really the product of everyone enjoying what they do for the company, and it is the residual effect of everyone's commitment to our patients."

- Chris Millisor, Customer Care Rep I, Outbound Oxygen Calls
Values Award Nominee