WCEC Partnering with Cooperative Response Center

WCEC’s after-hour calls are now being answered by a new vendor. Effective March 1, Wharton County Electric Cooperative has partnered with Cooperative Response Center (CRC) for after-hours call center services and line crew dispatching.

CRC is a nationwide, cooperatively owned and operated, 24/7 contact center, alarm monitoring center, and software provider. Founded in 1992, CRC has steadily increased the size and scope of its operation with offices in Minnesota, Tennessee, and Texas. CRC provides services to electric utilities, including round-the-clock dispatch and customer care, and monitoring of security and medical alarms. CRC currently serves nearly 500 members and associate members in 47 states.

“By partnering with CRC, we expect our members to be better served when calling our office after normal business hours,” WCEC GM/CEO Gary Raybon says. “They come highly recommended by other cooperatives and are as dedicated to providing the same level of member service as our own employees are.”

CRC provides live representatives at three call centers 24/7/365. WCEC’s after-hour calls are routed to the call center in Abilene. CRC representatives are able to enter outages into WCEC’s system and dispatch line crews. They are also able to offer limited information to our members regarding account status, balances, and payment options.

“A live person will answer the phone when our members call — just like we do here at the office,” Raybon says. “However, during large outages, members may get an automated system first.

“This system works in a similar way to the system we use in the office during a large influx of calls. Members can enter account information to determine if an outage has already been reported for their location. If not, the system can report the outage, or the member can hold to speak to a representative.”

WCEC is able to transfer multiple phone lines to CRC. This ability combined with CRC’s fully-staffed call centers as well as multiple locations throughout the nation will greatly reduce the possibility of a phone call going unanswered or a member receiving a busy signal even during large outages.

“We are confident that CRC is the best solution to provide a better level of member service during after-hour calls,” says Raybon. "As always, members can call our office with any questions or concerns about CRC."