Rebound Idaho: Three days into IDOL's contract with a call center -- is it helping claimants?

We're taking a look at the effectiveness of IDOL's recent efforts to keep up with skyrocketing demand from claimants.

OUR REBOUND IDAHOSERIES.WE CONTINUE TOSEEK ANSWERS FORYOU AND YOURFAMILY... AS OURSTATE... AND OURCOUNTRY... WORKSTO BOUNCE BACKFROM CORONAVIRUS.MANY UNEMPLOYEDIDAHOANS.CONTINUE TO WAITFOR BENEFITS...EVEN AS THEDEPARTMENT OFLABOR BOOSTSSTAFF SIZE.OUR MADELINELEADS OURREPORTING EFFORT...AND JOINS US WITHTHE VERY LATEST.TRIGGER WARNING:RECOGNIZE THISTUNE?

UNLESSYOU'RE ONE OF THELUCKY ONES, YOU'VESPENT A LOT OF TIMEWITH IT RECENTLY.COMING FROM YOURSPEAKERPHONE.

ASYOU WAIT ON HOLDWITH THEDEPARTMENT OFLABOR.SHOT OF PHONELAYING DOWN ONTABLE, PLAYING"HOLD" MUSICBUT IT'S THIS VERYSAME FLUTE-DRIVENMELODY.NAT POP OF MUSICTHAT LABOR REPSSAY THEY'REWORKING TO SPAREYOU FROM.STARTING WITH ANEWLY SIGNEDCONTRACT WITHMAXIMUS, A CALLCENTER FORGOVERNMENTAGENCIES..

IN BOISE."WE ARE PLEASED TOPARTNER WITH ACALL CENTER TOASSIST [IN HELPING]ANSWER CLAIMANTCALLS."SINCE OUR REPORTABOUT THEDEPARTMENT'SINSUFFICIENT STAFFSIZE LAST WEEK.THEY ADDED 30 NEWPHONE LINESSTAFFED WITHTRAINED WORKERSWHO HAVE ACCESSTO VIEW ANDEXPLAIN INDIVIDUALCLAIM DETAILS TOCLAIMANTS."OUR GOAL IS FORCLAIMANTS TOREACH AN AGENTMORE EASILY."BUT ARE CLAIMANTSSEEING THOSESHORTER WAITTIMES?

NOT YET,ACCORDING TO SOMEI SPOKE TO."SO HOW MANY TIMESDID YOU TRY CALLINGON MONDAY?""33 TIMES."SHE SAYS SHE TRIEDAGAIN ON TUESDAYTO NO AVAIL, THENTRIED AGAIN TODAY,AND."AT 8 O'CLOCKSTRAIGHT-UP I HIT ITAGAIN, AND IT SAID,UM, I GOT RIGHTTHROUGH, AND ISAID, "WOOHOO THISIS EXCITING!".

ANDTHEN IT SAID, BUTTHE WAIT TIME WAS 6HOURS AND 9MINUTES.""LIKE THEOPERATORS VOICE?""YUP, IT WAS ARECORDING."PLUS THIS WOMANON FACEBOOK TELLSME SHE HADPROBLEMS TOOWHEN SHE SAYSAFTER AN HOUR THESPECIALIST GOT TOTHE CALL CENTER.BUT THAT THEYTRANSFERRED HERTO A SPECIALISTWHERE SHE WAITED4 MORE HOURSBEFORE BEING HUNGUP ON.THEY ARE ONLY INTHEIR THIRD DAYWITH THE CALLCENTER ANDREEDER SAYS THEYARE STILL WORKINGOUT THE KINKS (ON-SCREEN: "WE ARESTILL WORKING OUTTHE KINKS, BUT WEARE PLEASED WITHTHE PROGRESS.")I ASKED IF THE NEWEMPLOYEES CANHELP ADJUDICATEISSUES STOPPINGPAYMENT.

TO WHICHREEDER REPLIEDTHIS:"IF THE ISSUE WASDUE TO A CLAIMANTERROR AND AMISTAKE ON THEAPPLICATION, THEYARE ABLE TOCORRECT IT FORTHEM.

IF THE ISSUENEEDS ADDITIONALINFORMATION TODETERMINE IF THECLAIMANT IS STILLELIGIBLE, THEN THEYWILL NEED TO SPEAKWITH ANADJUDICATOR ORCLAIM SPECIALIST.SHE SAYS THEDEPARTMENTCONTINUES TO HIREADJUDICATORS THATCAN REACH OUT TOCLAIMANTS BUTDIDN'T SAY HOWMANY.MW ON-CAM - IN THEMEANTIME.

FORMANY THE WAITCONTINUES.

ANDTHIS LITTLE DITTY..WILL LIKELY GODOWN..

AS THEMOST AGITATINGSONG IN IDAHOHISTORY.

WE WILLCONTINUE TO PRESSFOR ANSWERS FORYOU.

TO FOLLOWR REPORTINGEFFORTS VISITIDAHONEWS6.COM/REBOU.MADELINE WHITEA NEWS 6.

THEFOR CLAIMAINTS TOCALL.

IS ON YOURSCREEN.THE CALL CENTERTAKES CALLS...MONDAY THROUGHFRIDAY... FROM 8 A-M.

TO 5 P-M.