VSynergize helps Lifeline Service Provider Increase Application Approvals

Background

The Federal Communication Commission established the Lifeline program in 1985 as a means of ensuring that low income individuals have the opportunities and security that phone services bring, including being able to connect to jobs, family and emergency services. In 2016, the Lifeline program was reformed to include broadband services to close the digital divide.  To be eligible for the Lifeline program, customers must either have an income at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or participate in an accepted assistance program in every state, territory, commonwealth and on tribal lands.

About the Client

A US based, leading national telecom company and provider of the Federal Lifeline program services, the client provides Americans with free cell phones with monthly minutes and free texting services. The service was provided to customers that were under one of the listed categories  – Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, Federal Housing / Section 8 Assistance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Most Other Government Programs (varies by state) or Social Security Income.

The client required a partner with significant experience in Lifeline eligibility and program administration.

The Project

Our Challenge

The client is responsible for complying with the Lifeline Program rules including any having processes and procedures in place to make sure the rules are followed. The challenge was to gather internal resources and technical abilities to implement eligibility screening and implementing controls to prevent time waste or fraud without slowing down the eligibility approvals.

Our Solution

We wanted to develop an efficient process to meet the client’s needs and expectations, so we developed a 50+ people team to streamline and smoothen the support system:

• Customer Care  – We set up an inbound call process for receiving calls of all customers who want to sign up for the Lifeline program service
• Document Processing – The support team was provided with login credentials to the client portal to feed in applicant information
• Email Support – We set up a list of email response templates approved by client. The support team would analyse email queries and reply accordingly to emails
• Chat Support –  The chat service handled by Vsynergize dealt with direct customer queries and resolving of issues
• IVR testing – VSynergize supported the IVR system with different menus, sub-menu, and options based on the application
• A 24*7*365, 911 Support Department

The Result

Vsynergize has been handling the project for 3+ years now, with exceeding client expectations:

• Overall average time to complete a successful application was reduced to less than four minutes
• Ensured accurate eligibility to comply with the Federal Lifeline Program regulations, hence avoiding costly fines and potentially negative publicity
• No infrastructural cost for the client
• Comprehensive reporting procedures – provided timely, detailed reporting that captures metrics
• Excellent project management skills
• All technical queries handled appropriately and with precision

The association with Vsynergize had a tremendous impact on the business of the client. If you too are are looking to streamline your service then you have found us! VSynergize can assure you of expert support services that is high quality and affordable at the same time. Reach out to us today by simply giving us a call on +1-732-481-9424 or email at info@vsynergize.com. We will be glad to assist you.