Call centre

National Consumer Agency

Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority: National Consumer Agency - Call Centre Services - Request for Expressions of Interest. The National Consumer Agency (NCA) is a statutory body established by the Irish Government in May 2007. It aims to defend consumer interests and to embed a robust consumer culture in Ireland. The Government has given the NCA a very strong mandate to defend and promote consumer rights through: — Forceful advocacy, — Targeted research, — Consumer information, education, and awareness programmes, — The systematic enforcement of consumer law. The work of the Agency is divided into five key areas: — Research, — Information, — Enforcement, — Advocacy, — Education and awareness. As a part of its public outreach, information and education activities, the National Consumer Agency offers a Consumer Helpline service. The Helpline currently operates on a LoCall number (1890 432432) and takes calls during business hours between Monday and Friday. During the 12 months to December 31st 2008, the Call Centre is expected to handle in the region of 80 000 calls. Alongside the Helpline service, the National Consumer Agency further handles enquiries received by email via its consumer website www.consumerconnect.ie. Respondents to the present call for expressions of interest must be in a position to process email enquiries, remitting responses to consumers to the same high quality standard required on the Helpline. Email volumes over the duration of the contract referenced herewith are not expected to exceed 6 000 per annum. Important management information is captured from the Call Centre via a database specifically configured to service the needs of the National Consumer Agency. This information is key in the tracking of topical consumer issues, the identification of important trends, for enforcement purposes and to enable quality of service monitoring. In addition to the foregoing, fulfilment services for a range of NCA publications are also currently provided to the Agency by the present contract holder. Prospective bidders for this contract should outline in their Expression of Interest responses what capability, if any, they have to offer such a service either directly or via a third party. This is not an exclusionary criterion. The Consumer Helpline is a key communications and information channel for the National Consumer Agency and a track record of exemplary quality of service, client responsiveness and high levels of operational flexibility are essential requirements from the service provider. Prospective bidders are asked to note that further to a Government announcement in October 2008, the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority are scheduled to amalgamate. The Competition Authority does not currently operate a consumer helpline service. It is not currently anticipated that this amalgamation will affect the requirements of the service provider selected to operate the present contract, however this is subject to change in light of emerging priorities and requirements of the new body. The present call for Expressions of Interest is addressed to service providers in a position to operate a high quality consumer information helpline service, incorporating all service aspects as set-out above. Should the National Consumer Agency proceed to a full tender process on foot of the present Call for Expressions of Interest, it is anticipated that a contract would be awarded to commence by mid-2009 at the latest and for a duration of one year in the first instance, with the option to extend for up to a further 3 years, subject to satisfactory performance against a pre-agreed range of service criteria. In submitting an Expression of Interest to be considered eligible to tender for the provision of services as outlined above to the National Consumer Agency, respondents will be expected to submit evidence of a capacity to satisfy the following requirements: — Experience in the operation of high quality Call Centre services, and specifically in the operation of information-based or helpline services, — Capacity to service email enquiries, — Appropriate IT and database systems and capabilities to meet the operational and management information needs of the National Consumer Agency, — Robust operational planning, quality monitoring and management policies & procedures, — Flexibility to operate modified working hours and days of opening, in line with changing requirements, — Scalability of service, to accommodate rising or declining call volumes over time. In addition, a statelent should be included indicating a respondent's ability to offer a fulfilment service, whether directly or via a third party partner. Further technical/company information required is indicated in the rest of this notice. A detailed specification of the service requirements will be published at Invitation to Tender stage and made available to firms qualifying under this Expression of Interest procedure. To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the eTenders Web Site at http://www.etenders.gov.ie/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=75212. The awarding authority has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via a 'Tender Submission Postbox' facility. Further details of this facility are available at http://www.etenders.gov.ie/PostBox/Postbox_Explain.aspx?ID=75212.

The time limit for receipt of tenders was 2009-01-14. The procurement was published on 2008-12-16.

• • National Consumer Agency

• • Telephone-answering services › Call centre

• • Éire/Ireland