Challenge: Fresno Unified School District’s HR department struggled with accessibility, long response times, and lack of accountability, and needed a solution to improve employee experiences.
Solution: By implementing Let’s Talk and the Fresno Joe chatbot with an integrated call center coming soon, Fresno Unified is centralizing HR inquiries, streamlining workflows, providing 24/7 support, and gaining real-time insights for accountability and safety.
Results: The new system is improving efficiency, responsiveness, and trust by delivering faster service, around-the-clock access, time savings, data-driven improvements, and proactive safety measures.
Fresno Unified School District is one of California’s largest school systems, serving more than 70,000 students and thousands of employees. While the district had made strides in improving customer service across departments, its Human Resources (HR) department faced unique challenges.
For years, employees often found HR difficult to reach. Phone lines were clogged, hold times were long, and staff were often unsure where to turn with questions about payroll, benefits, retirement, or job applications. Without a central feedback loop, HR leaders lacked visibility into response times, trends, or employee satisfaction, creating gaps in accountability and fueling frustration.
“Unfortunately, HR had a reputation as the hardest department to get a hold of,” said Brian Wall, Director of Human Resources at Fresno Unified School District, who also leads the district’s new customer service team. “That wasn’t acceptable. We knew we needed to change that and rebuild trust with our staff.”
To modernize its HR operations, Fresno Unified implemented Let’s Talk, K12 Insight’s customer service and engagement platform, along with its AI-powered chatbot, Fresno Joe. Together, these tools created a single entry point for employee inquiries and transformed how HR communicates with staff.
With Let’s Talk, Fresno Unified’s HR team:
“Employees are customers, too,” Wall said. “With Let’s Talk and Fresno Joe, staff can get the help they need , whether it’s payroll, benefits, or leave, anytime, anywhere.”
“Employees are customers, too. With Let’s Talk and Fresno Joe, staff can get the help they need, whether it’s payroll, benefits, or leave, anytime, anywhere.
– Brian Wall, Director of Human Resources, Fresno Unified School District (CA)
The impact of Let’s Talk has been significant. Fresno Unified’s HR department is now more efficient, more responsive, and more trusted by employees.
“One of the biggest benefits of Let’s Talk is the accountability it creates,” Wall said. “It gives us a true feedback loop with our employees, something we didn’t have before. Staff know they’ve been heard, and we can track how we’re doing and where we need to improve.”
Within the HR department, Fresno Unified is in the midst of implementing the integrated Call Center, the next step in providing faster, more reliable service. This added capability will eliminate the frustration of long hold times and unanswered calls.
While HR has been a key focus, Fresno Unified has also expanded Let’s Talk to transportation and the superintendent’s office, with other departments across the district to follow. Each implementation has reinforced the district’s broader customer service plan, built on values of service excellence, compassion, communication, and hospitality.
“Let’s Talk exemplifies all of our customer service values,” Wall said. “It’s helped us create a culture of responsiveness and feedback, and that’s changing how our staff and families experience Fresno Unified.”
“Let’s Talk exemplifies all of our customer service values. It’s helped us create a culture of responsiveness and feedback, and that’s changing how our staff and families experience Fresno Unified.”
– Brian Wall, Director of Human Resources, Fresno Unified School District (CA)
Connect with our team to learn how Let’s Talk can transform human resources service delivery and elevate service delivery for every department in your district.
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