VA Contact Call Center Agent - Remote (50 Miles) for Salt Lake City VA Medical Center

VA Contact Call Center Agent - Remote in Utah (50 Miles) of Salt Lake City VA Medical Center ---------------------------------- Note: If you currently work on the ongoing VA Contact Center contract, please be aware of the following: - Piton Science & Technology’s [email protected] email address is available for current and former VA Contact Center contractor employees. - The government issued a solicitation for the recompete of the VA Contact Center contract with a due date Monday, September 15, 2025 as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-aside contract, and Piton Science & Technology submitted a proposal. - The current prime contractor for the VA Contact Center work was not eligible to submit a proposal because they are not an SDVOSB and consequently their work as the prime contractor on the VA Contact Center contract will end during February 2026. - Because Presidential Executive Order (EO) 14055 was rescinded during January 2025, the right of first refusal for rehire is no longer the law of the land for federal service contracts to include the VA Contact Center contract. - The practical effect from the current VA Contact Center employees of the cancellation of EO 14055 is the government will not provide the winning contractor with a list of contact details of current VA Contact Center workers (because the winning contractor by-law is not required to hire current employees). This means it is necessary for current employees to be proactive and to ahead of time apply for work for their current position because without the list the winning contractor will not know the identities of the current employees. - The strategy of waiting until after the contract is awarded before a current employee applies for work on their current position is not the best approach for securing continued employment because the follow-on contract requires the winning prime contractor provide a list of employees to the government within 3 days of contract award. Given the three day window and the need to hire many employees the likelihood all hiring decisions would on a contingent be finalized before the contract is awarded is very high. - The remote at-home work available within 50 miles of any VA Medical Center in any state. Examples of acceptable county and city locations include: [ Utah ] Salt Lake or Tooele – [ West Virginia ] Berkeley or Jefferson – [ D.C. ] – [ Maryland ] Calvert or Charles or Prince Georges – [ Virginia ] Alexandria or Arlington or Fairfax or Falls Church or Fauquier or Loudoun or Manassas Park or Prince William or Stafford [ South Carolina ] Calhoun or Frederick or Kershaw or Lexington or Richland or Saluda – [ OTHER STATES ] any location within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center. ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- VA Contact Center Customer Service Agent (Tier 1) - Call Center - Remote - Utah - Salt Lake City – Tooele The email address [email protected] is specifically for this and other Utah Customer Service Agent (Tier 1) positions where the employee will need to work from home in Salt Lake or Tooele County or another location within 50 miles of the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center. ---------------------------------- Customer Service Agent (Tier 1) Competencies and Requirements: Call center work experience is preferred. Active listening and speaking - Data entry (word processing skills of minimum 30-40 words per minute) - Grammar/sentence structure - Knowledge retention - Time management - Problem solving - Use of multiple applications simultaneously and ability to switch between applications - Basic understanding of Windows and Office applications - Understanding of VPN and remote log in - Ability to use computer equipment (keyboard, mouse, monitor(s), docking station, headsets, and volume controls) - Ability to use files and folders to name, save, and retrieve information - Ability to send and receive emails, open and add attachments, and encrypt messages - Ability to use messaging applications (e.g., Teams) to communicate and share screen - Ability to navigate websites (e.g., VA.gov) - Other basic computer skills as required to complete daily tasks Additionally, the government will provide a template post-award to certify competency and compliance with the elements of the template will be mandatory. ---------------------------------- Agent Responsibilities (Tier 1): · Use knowledge management tool to locate process or information needed to assist the customer. The current knowledge management tool is Salesforce but Salesforce could be replaced in the future. · Capture the incoming phone number from telephony software. Telephony software will whisper identity of incoming phone line. · Use appropriate greeting appropriate to the incoming phone line: i.e.: “Thank you for calling the Department of Veterans Affairs. My name is (Insert first name). How may I be of service today?” · Show empathy and engage in active listening with the customer by: o Apologizing and showing empathy for the issue or concern. o Expressing gratitude for letting you know about the situation. o Listen to caller as they explain they need and obtain relevant information. o Use established procedures and techniques (such as asking probing questions) to clarify what their need(s) is(are). o Provide the appropriate information or take the appropriate action based on their response. · Agents must utilize the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tool to document the calls. o Repeat back what you think you heard. o Document required case notes (who, what, when, why, where, and how) · Triage level of solution necessary to address customer’s need. · Determine if customer need can be met during call, if immediate referral to the right VA specialist is warranted or if intake and routing electronically is appropriate. · Protect privacy of customers and release information only to authorized personnel after properly verifying customer identity and need to know. · If escalation is appropriate, collect the required information. · Provide tele-interpreter services for callers needing assistance in another language. · Warm transfer call, if appropriate, to designated VA specialist at the Veterans Crisis Line, National Call Center (NCC) for Homeless Veterans, Veterans Benefit Administration Education Call Center, Veterans Benefit Administration National Call Center (NCC), Veterans Health Administration Health Benefits, Eligibility and Enrollment, National Cemetery Administration Cemetery Scheduling, or the VA Hotline. · The agent will utilize pre-approved content located in the KMtool. · This includes future implementation of additional communication channels. · Conducts service recovery or caller de-escalation, as appropriate to the situation. · Collect, document and review appropriate information to verify identity. · End call by following call closing procedures. · Agents must be responsible for other operational activities as they are identified. ---------------------------------- Prerequisite of an Existing Wired Internet Connection: A prerequisite for employment is the existence of a wire internet connection in your house. The internet connection will not be paid by the contract. The government will test the performance of the internet connection before the prospective employee will be permitted to begin working on the contract. Please do not apply if your circumstances are such that you at your own expense will not have a preexisting wired capable internet connection to which a government computer may be connected at your home remote work location within 50 miles of the medical center. Job Type: Full-time Application Question(s): • Have you previously (or currently) worked on the VA Contact Center contract? Work Location: Remote Apply tot his job