The two partners will manage the State of Minnesota’s Telecom Services Contract
Customer Contact Services (“CCS”) today announced a new partnership with Straightforward, a technology orchestration firm, to manage telecom services for the State of Minnesota. As a result of the partnership, Straightforward is now able to provide phone answering services to their SLED (state, local and education) clients in a streamlined procurement process.
“This partnership is a game-changer,” said Straightforward’s Chief Executive Officer Jared Petersen. “With CCS, we are offering the only diverse, small, disadvantaged business option for basic telecom answering services to Minnesota’s government and Cooperative Purchasing Venture members—like counties, cities, local districts, K-12 schools, higher education, and non-profit organizations.”
The partnership holds the exclusive basic telephone state contract for phone answering services as a certified Targeted Group Business. Moreover, Straightforward has obtained certifications such as Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Metropolitan Council Underutilized Business (MCUB), Minneapolis Target Market, St. Paul’s CERT, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 3, and others. These certifications, at the state, local, and federal levels, are designed to enhance the involvement of women and minority-owned businesses.
While the partnership provides abundant opportunities for clients who prioritize socio-economic contracting in Minnesota and beyond, it also enables Straightforward to swiftly deploy services through a streamlined Request for Quotation (RFQ) process for various government entities. This not only saves time, money, and alleviates complications but also ensures diversity is baked in.
“We are excited to work with the team at Straightforward,” said CCS President Aundrea Mitchell. “This partnership marks a significant step in revolutionizing Minnesota’s telecom services. Together, Straightforward and CCS will provide state-of-the-art solutions and outstanding customer experiences.”
A 24/7/365 call center provider, CCS is PCI, HIPAA, SOC1, and SOC 2 compliant. CCS is a provider of technology-enabled outsourced virtual receptionist and inbound-communication solutions, handling critical, responsive front-office tasks to ensure a superior customer experience.
About Customer Contact Services
Founded in 1972 as a small answering services company, Customer Contact Services (CCS) has grown into a full-service call center serving the business community with live answering services, virtual receptionists, and customer service call handling solutions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. CCS has been recognized six times on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing companies since 2012. To learn more, visit customercontact.skoldev.net/.
