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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Remedy For An Oversight

Nancy Powell, Traffic Management Center Supervisor

Several weeks ago, I blogged here about MoDOT's response to the July 17th collapse of the I-435 WB ramp from I-470 WB. In that blog, I omitted several individuals, whose efforts that day and throughout the weekend went above and beyond heroic. Betty Schloman is a longtime MoDOT employee and was the sole Customer Service Representative on duty in the District office that particular Saturday morning. Weekends are busy for D4 Customer Service because they field calls from four other Districts as well as the Metro KC area. Anyone calling 1-888-ASK-MODOT from anywhere in the state on weekends and after 4:30 pm weekdays, will be routed either to D4 in Lee's Summit or D6 in St. Louis, depending upon where their call originates. It is unusual for any business to offer 24/7 LIVE Customer Service, and especially so for a state government agency, but at MoDOT, it's one of many distinctions that people have come to expect.

When the roadway collapsed and was closed at 1:30 that afternoon, the phones went wild with callers wanting to know what happened and requesting detour information. While MoDOT was responding with its own crews to assess and respond to the unfolding emergency, the calls kept coming…and they did not stop throughout the entire weekend. When Betty's shift ended that Saturday, she was relieved by her boss, Jackie Davis, Customer Service Supervisor, who continued to field the avalanche of calls concerning "The Hole" until she was relieved by CSR Louise Carroll for the overnight shift. And the calls continued…

Things have settled down a bit now, with construction activity ongoing and traffic having adjusted itself around the closure. Many, many MoDOT employees deserve individual recognition for their part in managing this crisis, but these three dedicated ladies warranted special mention in this space.

In my humble opinion, the entire D4 Customer Service Department is one of MoDOT's greatest assets! Keep up the good work, ladies!


Betty Schloman


Jackie Davis


Louise Carroll

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