Pasco Tax Collector Launches County-wide Call Center

On February 3rd the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office launched a full-time call center to serve the residents of Pasco.  The call center replaces the previous system in which all three phone numbers (one in each of the three area codes which serve the county) would ring at one phone in Dade City.  Mike Fasano quickly saw that a county the size of Pasco needed a customer service program which is able to provide a far greater level of service.  He envisioned a call center in which multiple individuals will be answering calls simultaneously and providing as much information and assistance as may be possible to each caller.   

To make the call center a reality, the antiquated phone system in the tax office needed to be replaced.  With the installation of a VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) system the ability to have a true call center has become that reality.  Based in the Gulf Harbors office, the call center is staffed by five highly experienced individuals specifically trained to handle most customer concerns over the phone.   The five employees have extensive front-line customer service experience as well as a varied background which makes them uniquely qualified to provide the best customer service possible.  The employees are Joanne Raspanti, Vicky Ippolito, Crystal Moore, Ilene Stovall and Cynthia Doorlag.  Tim Couet is the manager of the call center. 

All incoming calls will be routed through the call center during regular business hours (8:30 AM through 5:00 PM Monday through Friday).  The tax collector's extensive recorded information line will be available during all hours that the call center is not in operation. 

The sole goal of the call center is to make the customer’s experience with the tax office as easy as possible.  Call center representatives will be able to answer a host of questions and provide information about most, if not all, of the services the office provides.  The call center is also equipped with a customer service representative who speaks fluent Spanish.  Requests for duplicate tax bills, lien holder information, publically available drivers license information, vehicle registration requirements and drivers license renewal details are all examples of services that will be provided through the call center.  Additionally, the call center will have the ability to transfer callers directly to individuals who may possess the knowledge or expertise, whether within the agency of without, as needed. All call center employees have an extensive directory of governmental agencies and other outside groups that customers could potentially need assistance from (i.e. Social Security Administration, sinkhole claims, street paving, etc).  

Not all transactions will be able to take place over the phone, however.   Some services, such as drivers license renewals, will require a personal visit by the customer to one of the offices.  Federal law requires that certain documents must be inspected to verify the identity of an individual.  Additionally, a drivers license photograph can only be done in person.  Any customer who is seeking to renew a drivers license, for example, will be given a list of documents they may need to bring to the office and will be advised which office is closest to their home or place of business.  Also, the call center will not be equipped to conduct monetary transactions over the phone.  However, individuals can be walked through the process of using the tax collector's online payment options if they desire. 

The call center is an extension of the Customer Relations Department.  As such we will strive to provide the best service possible.  The motto of the office is “Thank you for allowing us to serve you.”  This will be exemplified through each and every call answered by the call center representatives.