Bryan Simpson Unites States Courthouse in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix)
JACKSONVILLE — The Florida Department of Children and Families blocked 54% of phone calls from people wanting to reach one of its call center agents in April, according to data presented in federal court Wednesday.
The agency, which handles calls related to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, lacks standards governing the number of blocked calls or hangups by clients because they can’t remain on hold, the call center’s director Nichole Solomon testified on Wednesday.
DCF hung up on 744,000 people waiting on hold before they could talk to employees in April alone because the call center lacks capacity to manage all the calls it gets, said Solomon, who has been in charge of the call center since early 2023. Instead, those 744,000 callers who opted to speak to a person instead of the automated system, heard a message saying all agents were busy and to call later.