CARSON CITY, NV - The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), will open a new Unemployment Insurance (UI) call center today, April 15, 2020 to help assist claimants with general questions related to the unemployment insurance filing process. The agency is partnering with global customer service provider Alorica to manage the inquiries and anticipates that Alorica staff scope may change based on needed support.
The call center will answer a newly established general question toll-free hotline: (800) 603-9671. Operation hours will mirror the state’s current expanded UI call center hours of Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Specific claim scenarios cannot be answered via this hotline, and those questions should be directed to the DETR phone lines.
In addition, DETR reiterated a new method for online filing system for Nevadans seeking to initiate or renew claims. This new methodology is organized by last names and is aimed at providing faster results for Nevadans seeking to gain access to unemployment benefits. The new system was announced Tuesday and will begin Sunday.
Last names A-K are asked to file on Sundays. Last names L-R are asked to file on Mondays. Last names S-Z are asked to file on Tuesday. Wednesday through Saturday are open for all to initiate or renew claims online.
The new call center with approximately 100 employees to start was announced by the Governor’s Office via press release on April 9, 2020. The call center will be operated by an outside vendor, Alorica, a U.S.-based company that provides customer service around the globe with over 100,000 employees represented in 14 countries. Alorica already has two operational call centers in Nevada.
“While there are tools online to assist with navigating the unemployment insurance process, we absolutely understand the need to connect with a human voice to get questions answered,” said DETR Director Dr. Tiffany Tyler-Garner. “Our goal with the new call center is to alleviate the enormous call volume flooding our current call centers. We will continue to address concerns as we work to serve Nevadans during this unprecedented time."
As previously announced, the new call center will utilize the Alorica-At-Home solution, which provides a full-service, scalable customer experience with work-at-home agents. The new call center can also provide future support for the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) provision for independent contractors, freelancers, gig workers and other workers not covered by standard Unemployment Insurance. This program was in part made possible through the assistance of Nevada’s federal delegation.
“We are proud to be able to support Nevadans during this difficult time, helping to answer questions and guide them through this critical process,” said Colleen Beers, President of North America Operations for Alorica. “We applaud the State of Nevada and DETR for making it easier for people in crisis to receive assistance.”
