Call Center Brings Comfort and Efficiency to CalPERS Members

In the difficult days following her husband’s death, Phyllis Kalbach received comfort from an unexpected source—the CalPERS customer service representative on the other end of the phone.

The Lincoln, Calif., resident said she called the CalPERS Customer Experience Division after her husband died in July to get help accessing his pension. She said the care she received stood out, especially compared to her experience with other call centers.

“I was pleasantly surprised at how kind they were to me,” Kalbach said. “I felt like they were looking at me face to face, and they weren’t. I was just a voice on the phone. I remember telling people, ‘I feel safe. I feel secure. I’m going to be OK.’”

The team members who work in the CalPERS call center spend six months in training, so they’re prepared to handle calls from members like Kalbach thoroughly—and kindly.

Call Center Efficiencies Enacted Under New Leadership

In the past few months, under the leadership of new arrival Thor Dunn (pictured above), the center has become even more focused on meeting member needs—cutting call wait times and receiving more positive feedback in follow-up surveys.

A veteran of complex missions in the U.S. Marines and Air Force Reserves, Dunn joined CalPERS in October 2025. He immediately set to work with the team identifying efficiencies to improve members’ experience when they call for help. Dunn oversaw a similar project for his former employer, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA).

“The first thing I did was start observing and speaking with our team and finding out what some of their ideas were for possible improvements, and where we could make valid change for our customers,” Dunn said. “One of the things we noticed was with our scheduling—there definitely was an opportunity for improvement. So, we took a data-driven approach and also offered more flexibility with some of the schedules.”

Since the team’s schedule was refined:

• Service levels have soared by 41%
• Nearly 87% of calls are now answered within five minutes or less, up from 60% in February 2025.
• More than 90% of members surveyed consistently report they are satisfied with the service they received.

‘Treat Everyone Like You Would a Family Member’

Team members were given the flexibility to start their shift earlier. They were also given the option to take a shorter lunch break. Those two changes made it easier to accommodate the two daily spikes in calls—in the morning from mostly retirees and in the lunch hour from mostly active members.

“We went from a lot of hour-long lunches to 30- or 45-minute lunches that allow us the flexibility to have different start and end times at the beginning and the end of the day,” said supervisor Bryan Littlefield (pictured above). “It works really well.”

Rosa Serrato-Chairez (below), a supervisor who has worked for CalPERS for 15 years, said that the time team members spend in training is the key to their success. The program includes three months spent taking calls alongside a supervisor on the call center “farm team.”

“I try to tell my team especially, ‘Just treat everyone like you would a family member, because this is our member’s first time retiring,” she said. “You know, it’s a big step, so they have a lot of questions.”

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Our contact center business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All CalPERS offices are closed on state holidays.

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