The National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) is a lifeline for millions of people who experience abuse from their intimate partners. During the pandemic, the demand for their services increased dramatically, as isolation, stress and financial strain exacerbated the risk of violence. To meet this challenge, The Hotline partnered with Genesys, a leader in cloud customer experience and contact center solutions, to transform their contact center infrastructure and enhance their capacity and capabilities.
The Hotline’s Mission and History
The Hotline was established in 1996, after President Bill Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act, which provided government-funded grants to support the organization. Since then, The Hotline has answered over 6 million calls, texts and chat messages from survivors of domestic violence, offering them confidential and compassionate support, safety planning, resources and referrals.
The Hotline’s mission is to empower survivors and help them move toward a safer and more secure future. The Hotline also advocates for social change and policy reform to prevent and end domestic violence.
The Impact of the Pandemic on Domestic Violence
The pandemic created unprecedented challenges for The Hotline and the people they serve. As lockdowns and social distancing measures were imposed, many survivors found themselves trapped at home with their abusers, with limited access to support networks, services and escape options. The Hotline saw a drastic spike in the number of contacts they received, reaching nearly double compared to before the pandemic.
Marty Hand, vice president of technology for The Hotline, said: “Any situation that adds stress, financial strain or isolation greatly increases the risk to survivors. The pandemic had all three, and to this day, many find themselves frequently closer to the ones causing them harm.”
The Hotline knew they needed to step up their response, but they faced several obstacles. Their existing contact center infrastructure was outdated and inefficient, limiting their ability to handle multiple channels of communication and scale up their operations. They also had to ensure the safety and well-being of their staff, who had to work remotely while dealing with increased emotional stress and trauma.
The Collaboration with Genesys
To overcome these challenges, The Hotline turned to Genesys, a technology partner that shared their vision and values. Genesys is a global leader in cloud customer experience and contact center solutions, serving over 11,000 customers in more than 100 countries.
The Hotline and Genesys set out to modernize The Hotline’s contact center infrastructure by focusing on how technology could increase both capacity and capabilities. First, the Genesys Cloud CX platform helped expand the capacity of The Hotline advocates. It enabled them to seamlessly switch between voice, text and chat channels, as well as access real-time data and analytics to optimize their performance. It also allowed them to work remotely without compromising security or quality.
Second, the Genesys Cloud CX platform enhanced the capabilities of The Hotline advocates. It integrated artificial intelligence (AI) tools that provided them with automated guidance, suggestions and feedback to improve their interactions with survivors. It also leveraged natural language processing (NLP) and sentiment analysis to identify the most urgent cases and prioritize them accordingly.
The collaboration between The Hotline and Genesys resulted in significant improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction. The Hotline was able to increase its contact volume by 40%, reduce its average wait time by 50%, and achieve a 95% satisfaction rate among survivors.
The Future of The Hotline and Genesys Partnership
The partnership between The Hotline and Genesys is not only a success story for technology innovation, but also a testament to the power of collaboration for social good. Both organizations are committed to continuing their joint efforts to support survivors of domestic violence and end the cycle of abuse.
Carmit DiAndrea, vice president of portfolio marketing at Genesys, said: “We are honored to work with The Hotline and help them fulfill their vital mission. We believe that technology can be a force for good in the world, and we are proud to see how our solutions are making a positive difference in the lives of millions of people.”
