If you call AC Transit’s Customer Relations department for a question or a complaint this fall, don’t be surprised to hear someone with a New England accent on the other end of the line.

At Thursday's board of Directors meeting, Chief Operating Officer Kathleen Kelly, share da proposal that has AC Transit outsourcing its local Telephone Information Center to Connecticut-based American Customer Care starting in September. The center is currently located at the district’s downtown Oakland headquarters.

“We can save about a million dollars by outsourcing,” Kelly told "The Black Hour's" Reginald James in a phone call this week.

The AC Transit board met last night at 6 p.m. today, Aug. 18, at its downtown Oakland headquarters, 1600 Franklin St. The vote was 6-0 vote in favor w/ Joel Young recusing himself.

The projected costs for an internal staff are almost $1.3 million dollars, while the contracted services would be under $300,000, according to documents. A 60-day transitional period will take place from September through October, although it was anticipated that the call center would be in place already.

“We originally thought we’d have this together for July,” Kelly said. “Because we are not going to be able to do that, we still have current costs.”

The delay and blended cost of internal staff and contract services will result in AC Transit going over its 2010/2011 budget. The transporation agency also acknowledges the loss of “market knowledge,” with the transition - private call center employees in Connecticut will not know geography as well as current staff.
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“This is less a concern as it would have been in the past since there’s Google Earth,” Kelly said. The call center will rely on technology like 511.org, Next Bus and Google Transit to assist riders.

Still, the lack of familiarity will be a loss for AC Transit.

“Some of our people were operators. So they are able to say, “Remember where that old Chevron station was?’ That kind of knowledge, they (new call center) won’t be able to pick up,” Kelly said.

What will happen to the 13 information clerks and one supervisor currently working in AC Transit’s Information Center?

“They would be laid off,” Kelly admitted. “Many of them are eligible for retirement. Many have already done that or are planning to do so before October.”

All of the clerks are members of AC Transit’s largest union - ATU - the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 192. ATU is currently in a labor dispute with management after the district voted to impose a contract in July. A judge ordered AC Transit to return to its previous work rules last week.

However, this move does not relate to the current labor dispute, Kelly said, as outsourcing the center was contemplated over a year ago.

Other companies that applied for the contract include Nebraska-based EMS Inc.; Verizon; and France’s multi-national company, Veolia. The Telephone Information Center has been located in downtown Oakland since AC Transit's headquarters was built in the early 1980s.

The Connecticut call center will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.