AI helper
Mount Pleasant Waterworks (MPW) is seeking proposals for Overflow Contact Center Services on a pilot program basis. Qualified participants are invited to submit proposals. Vendors must submit two copies of their proposals by April 15, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST, either by mail or email. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered. MPW has a period of up to thirty days after opening proposals to award the contract to the lowest responsible provider. Submission of a proposal signifies the provider's understanding of the specifications. Prices quoted must include all discounts and be net, including delivery. State and local taxes should be included. MPW reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. Awards will be made to the lowest responsible provider whose proposal is most advantageous. In case of default, MPW may purchase services on the open market and charge the vendor for additional costs. Unit prices will govern over extended prices. Ambiguous proposals may be rejected. All proposals must be executed and submitted in a sealed envelope. All inquiries and communications regarding the proposal should be directed in writing or via email to Brian King. No oral answers to proposal questions will be permitted. Addenda to proposal documents will be issued in writing. MPW is not liable for any costs incurred by providers in developing and submitting proposals. MPW may investigate the ability of the offeror to perform the work. MPW reserves the right to reject any proposal if the proposer is not qualified. In estimating the lowest cost, MPW will consider delivery, quality, service performance, analysis, reference checks, location of support operations, size of support staff, and fiscal stability of the company. Discussions with commission members concerning the proposal may lead to disqualification. The selected vendor will provide trained agents to answer inbound calls during peak midday hours (approximately 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM EST, Monday-Friday) and assist with simple customer service requests. The goal is to improve customer service responsiveness, reduce call wait times, and allow internal staff to focus on complex needs. The vendor will handle estimated call volumes of **** calls per day, primarily simple tier 1 calls including account assistance, billing questions, payment processing, and general information. Complex issues will be handled by taking a message for MPW staff. Vendors should describe their capabilities related to inbound call handling, customer information systems, secure payment processing, call recording, CRM/ticketing integration, secure customer data handling, real-time reporting, and call transfer. Vendors must demonstrate compliance with industry standards for protecting customer data, including PCI compliance. The pilot program duration is approximately **** days and will evaluate customer service quality, accuracy, payment processing reliability, message capture quality, operational coordination, and reduction in call abandonment/wait times. Following the pilot, MPW may extend the contract or expand service hours. Vendor qualifications should include experience supporting utilities or public sector organizations, experience with payment processing in contact centers, ability to support short daily coverage windows, U. S. -based agents preferred, and high customer service standards. Reporting requirements include calls received, answered, transferred, messages logged, average handle time, average wait time, abandonment rate, service level, and customer satisfaction metrics, with a minimum weekly frequency. Pricing proposals should include hourly rate or per-minute pricing, shared vs. dedicated agent pricing, setup costs, training costs, technology/integration costs, and payment processing fees. Proposals should include a company overview, relevant experience, service approach, staffing model, technology platform, security practices, reporting capabilities, pricing structure, and references.
The bid notice states that proposals must be received by 2:00 PM on April 15, 2026. Respondents mailing proposals should allow sufficient mail delivery time to ensure timely receipt by Mount Pleasant Waterworks.
The bid notice states that awards shall be made to the lowest responsible provider who submits a responsive proposal, which is most advantageous to MPW, considering servicing capability, workmanship, and a history of satisfactory service. In estimating the lowest cost, MPW will consider delivery, quality, service performance, analysis, reference checks, location of support operations, size of support staff, and fiscal stability of the providing company.
Vendors should demonstrate experience supporting utilities or public sector organizations, experience with payment processing in contact centers, ability to support short daily coverage windows, U. S. -based agents preferred, or AI with English skills, and high customer service standards. MPW may make investigations to determine the ability of the offeror to perform the work and reserves the right to reject any proposal if the evidence submitted fails to satisfy MPW that they are properly qualified.
In case of default by the vendor, MPW reserves the right to purchase like services on the open market charging the vendor with any additional costs. Should such charges be assessed, no subsequent proposals of the defaulting vendor shall be considered until the assessed charges have been satisfied.
