At a Feb. 12 meeting, the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) Board of Directors heard an update on the district’s change in after-hours call systems from Answer Topeka to Daupler.
PAWSD IT, GIS, Asset and Meter Manager Kyle Tjelmeland presented on the change, explaining that the district shifted from Answer Topeka, which was a simple answering service, to Daupler, which is an answering service and a dispatch assistance tool.
He added that Daupler uses a combination of trained staff and artificial intelligence to answer and dispatch customer calls.
Tjelmeland stated that Daupler’s staff have a background in utility issues and that calls are dispatched to on-call employees based on keywords and the information collected by the staff answering the call.
He explained that Daupler collects information about the caller’s location and that calls outside PAWSD’s service area, such as sewer issues within the boundaries of the Pagosa Springs Sanitation General Improvement District (PSSGID), are redirected to the appropriate entity.
PAWSD board member Bill Hudson asked if the town is using or interested in using Daupler.
Tjelmeland replied that it is not currently and that the Daupler agent would tell the customer the correct number of the entity to call.
Hudson noted that they could discuss the possibility of using this service with the PSSGID more in the future since it might be useful to them.
Tjelmeland explained that the on-call staff will receive incident details and any supporting videos or photos on their work phone when a call is dispatched to them.
Staff can then acknowledge they have received this information, he indicated.
If the staff member does not acknowledge the incident within two minutes, he explained that the system will begin calling them every two minutes and, if they do not pick up within a certain amount of time, their supervisor will be contacted.
He added that the system will continue to call more people and to call the people already contacted until the issue is acknowledged.
Tjelmeland explained that staff have the option within the system to call the person back who initially made the call and this person can opt to receive updates on the situation and add additional information.
He added that the system also provides mapping guidance to help direct staff to an incident and tracks when staff arrive and depart from an incident.
PAWSD board chairman Gene Tautges related that he had recently been able to use the system to explain to a customer who was concerned about a leak that PAWSD had checked the problem and found it was not a leak.
He stated that the customer was highly pleased with the proof of PAWSD’s responsiveness to their concern.
PAWSD District Manager Andy Connor commented that the system is also useful for management to track what activities staff are doing and what issues might be emerging.
Tautges asked what the costs of Daupler are compared to Answer Topeka.
Tjelmeland replied that Daupler is “significantly more,” although he was unsure about the exact costs.
Connor and Tjelmeland added that the system will save money in terms of reducing staff time spent tracking issues and identifying customer concerns.
Connor stated that Daupler can also combine information from multiple customers calling about one issue, like a water line break, into a single event, making tracking it easier.
He added that Daupler can also inform people calling about an issue when PAWSD is already alerted to it that PAWSD staff are on-site and addressing it, reducing staff time spent answering customer calls while trying to fix the issue the customer is calling about.
Tautges then related an anecdote about a recent water freezing issue that PAWSD staff addressed for him, stating that he wanted to illustrate his appreciation for PAWSD staff’s work.
Connor commented that the system is also working well for staff with less expertise with computers.
Tjelmeland added that the system can also help with contacting staff for emergencies, reducing the amount of time staff on the ground need to spend contacting assistance.
PAWSD board member Alex Boehmer commented he has seen the value of a similar system in his company.
Connor stated that the system’s ability to track staff actions is valuable for management and understanding how events progress.
“The accountability for us to our customers and for our staff back to management, it’s kind of a full circle,” Tjelmeland said. “I think it will improve customer perceptions of us and our overall … customer service.”
He added that Daupler also could be integrated with the district’s work order management systems in the future.
“Thanks for the update. We appreciate it, Kyle,” Tautges concluded.
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