Call center productivity project

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is testing if generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can increase efficiencies by providing accurate answers faster than agents manually locating information and collating it into a response.

The opportunity

CDTFA has over 40 programs supported by call center staff. They answer general questions and provide in-depth guidance to taxpayers. In 2022-23, CDTFA’s call center answered:

Over 660,000 calls
Over 17,000 emails
Over 127,000 chat messages

Tax program information is complex. It’s contained in many CDTFA articles, guides, and manuals. Call center staff often spend a lot of time researching answers to taxpayer questions.

This can lead to long wait times. Some callers even hang up before they get their answer.

Calls abandoned because of long wait times can reduce tax revenue generated for the state. They also mean more work for taxpayers to file returns and make timely payments.

How CDTFA is exploring GenAI

CDTFA is testing tools that search resources for call center staff. The ideal tool would also create a possible response for staff to use. They want a tool that will:

Shorten research time for staff
Decrease wait times for taxpayers
Improve monitoring of operations
Facilitate CDTFA helping more customers

Learn more about CDTFA’s project on Cal eProcure.