The College Call Center includes a director and seven full-time representatives -- one coordinator, two specialists and eight part-time representatives. The staff is a combination of current students and graduates of NOVA. The Call Center staff leads also function as the Call Center emergency response team and virtual agents.

Virtual Agents

High-performing reps are allowed the flexibility to work remotely during non-peak registration periods. This practice supports a work-life balance initiative implemented to help minimize the stress levels associated with call center work, specifically emotional labor.

Call Center Emergency Response and Preparedness Team

The emergency preparedness team consists of five team leads and the call center director. The plan addresses possible disruptions like a loss of access to the Call Center facility (ex., fire, pandemic/health) and service disruption due to equipment or system failure (ex. inclement weather).

Call Center Staff Training

New Hire

All new Call Center representatives go through an initial four-week training before they are allowed to answer inquiries by themselves. During this time, a combination of classroom and hands-on training is provided. Team leads offer feedback and coaching.

During the first two weeks, new representatives sit directly with a team lead listening to live calls, observing proper phone etiquette and customer service skills and learning how to navigate the NOVA website, Student Information System and other applications. During weeks three and four, the new rep begins taking calls with a team lead sitting next to them and coaching the individual along the way. This method allows for hands-on training without sacrificing quality.

Ongoing Training

Key Program Training
Key personnel from Student Services, Central Financial Aid and other departments lead these sessions.

Annual Training
An in-depth 3-hour annual training is conducted to ensure all reps are equally informed, and qualified to handle the wide range of inquiries received, including:

• Pre-Peak Registration Training
• Quality Assurance Training
• Customer Service & Technical Skills Training

Ongoing Training
Weekly and monthly meetings keep reps up-to-date on the latest information.