Project Information

Bid Title

RFP 25-11: Outsourced Remote Customer Support & Call Center Operations Addendum No.1

Issuing Agency

Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority

Location

Rhode Island

Published Date

Feb 2, 2026

Closing Date

Feb 9, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Inquiries

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

RFP 25-11: Outsourced Remote Customer Support & Call Center Operations

The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority has issued RFP 25-11: Outsourced Remote Customer Support & Call Center Operations

To read the RFP, CLICK HERE.

To read Addendum No.1, please CLICK HRE.

Attachment Preview

Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority

January 7, 2026

Request for Proposal No. 25-11

Outsourced Remote Customer Support & Call Center Operations

INTRODUCTION

The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) is seeking proposals from qualified

firms to provide remote E-ZPass customer service call center services. The selected vendor will

support RITBA E-ZPass customers by delivering high-quality, professional and efficient customer

service interactions through a fully remote call center model.

RITBA is seeking a partner with demonstrated experience in managing remote tolling customer

support operations, maintaining service excellence, and scaling resources to meet a fluctuating

demand. The vendor should possess strong capabilities in agent recruitment and training, quality

assurance, performance management, data security, and reporting.

This RFP outlines our service requirements, performance expectations, and evaluation criteria.

Vendors are invited to submit proposals that detail their approach, experience, technology, staffing

model, pricing, and ability to meet or exceed our customer service standards.

BACKGROUND

RITBA is a quasi-public agency created by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1954 as a

corporate and body politic, with powers to construct, acquire, maintain, and operate bridge projects

as defined by law. The Authority was responsible for the construction of the Claiborne Pell Bridge

(formerly the Newport Bridge) which opened to traffic on June 28, 1969. The Authority has been

responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Mount Hope Bridge between Bristol, Rhode

Island and Portsmouth, Rhode Island and the Claiborne Pell Bridge between Newport, Rhode

Island and Jamestown, Rhode Island since 1964 and 1969, respectively. On April 25, 2013, the

State transferred custody, control and supervision of the land and improvements for the Jamestown

Verrazzano and the Sakonnet River Bridges from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation

(RIDOT) to the Authority. Ownership and title of the bridges remains with the State. In addition

to the four (4) bridges noted above, RITBA also operates and maintains Route 138 through

Jamestown and ten (10) smaller bridges associated with this highway and the approaches to the

four (4) major bridges.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

RITBA requires respondents keep the proposals to a maximum of eight (8) double sided 8 ½ x 11

pages (no less than 12 font) for each discipline a firm is requesting to provided services for RITBA,

excluding:

• Cover Letter

• Table of Contents

• Dividers

• Resumes

RITBA will not accept videos, simulations, or other electronic presentations for this submittal.

However, such electronic information may be presented during an interview process for the

shortlisted proposers if so necessary.

Proposing firms shall submit one electronic (via email to procurement@ritba.org) and three (3)

printed copies of the proposal to:

Office of Procurement

Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority

1 East Shore Road

Jamestown, RI 02835

Attn: Outsourced Remote Customer Support & Call Center Operations

– RFP 25-11

The proposal must be received no later than 2:00pm EDT February 9, 2026 EDT. Late

submissions will not be accepted. RITBA accepts deliveries during normal business hours

Monday through Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm EDT excluding national and local state holidays. It is

the sole responsibility of the responding firm to ensure delivery of its proposal on or before the

due date/time, RITBA will not accept any proposals that are received after the due date/time. To

control the dissemination of information regarding this RFP, firms interested in submitting

proposals shall not make personal contact with any member of RITBA staff and/or Board of

Directors. Questions concerning this RFP should be directed, via email to procurement@ritba.org

no later than 2:00pm January 26th , 2026, EDT. RITBA will respond to all relevant questions no

later than end of day EDT January 30, 2026. This addendum will be posted to RITBA’s website

(www.ritba.org) and the State of Rhode Island’s Division of Purchasing website

(www.purchasing.ri.gov).

RITBA accepts no financial responsibility for any costs incurred by a firm in responding to this

RFP, participating in oral presentations, or meeting with RITBA prior to being awarded the

contract. The proposals in response to this RFP become the property of RITBA and may be used

by RITBA in any way it deems appropriate. All information submitted in response to this RFP is

deemed public and subject to disclosure unless a separate redacted public copy is submitted,

regardless of whether the information is marked confidential/proprietary. Firms may redact in

public copy any trade secrets or commercial or financial information which is of a privileged or

confidential nature pursuant to the Access to Public Records Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2 et. seq.).

If Firm does not submit a redacted public copy, RITBA assumes that firm is not seeking

confidential treatment for any of its information and thus, all information is subject to public

disclosure. By submitting a proposal, the firm certifies that it has fully read and understands the

RFP, has full knowledge of the scope of work to be provided, and accepts the terms and conditions

under which the services are to be performed. RITBA will be the sole judge in determining as

equivalent products (if applicable).

RITBA reserves the right to, virtually, interview some, all or none of the firms responding to this

RFP based solely on its judgment as to the firm(s) proposals and capabilities. RITBA reserves the

right to select firms directly from the proposals received without the use of an interview process.

RITBA reserves the right to request and consider additional information from submitters, and to

reject any submittals on any basis without disclosing the reason. No firm may withdraw their

submittal for at least one hundred twenty (120) days after the time and date set for submission.

RITBA reserves the right to waive any irregularities and technical defects. RITBA reserves the

right to modify, amend or waive any provision of this RFP, prior to the issuance of an award for

these services.

SCOPE

1. Customer Account Management

• Update and maintain customer RITBA E-ZPass accounts.

• Assist customers with account inquiries and updates to account information, (e.g, account

demographics, vehicle or license plate updates, transponder activation or deactivation).

• Process account payments, auto-replenishment setup, and balance inquiries.

• Provide customer support for online access, login support and profile updates.

• Maintain a thorough understanding of RITBA E-ZPass business rules and regulations.

• Assist customers with the account closure process and ensure all required documentation

is submitted.

• Verify and confirm account information with customers to ensure accuracy.

• Advise business/commercial accounts for the proper procedures for their inquiries.

• Understand and apply the process for directing customers to local AAA offices for account

establishment when required.

• Support customers with the toll dispute process for out of state toll transactions on their

RITBA account.

• Explain toll transactions and charges appearing on customer statements

• After each customer interaction, call center agents must write detailed notes summarizing

the conversation.

• Notes should include:

o Customer’s account details (as needed for context, respecting privacy regulations).

o Purpose of the call and the main issues raised.

o Actions taken by the agent during the call.

o Any follow-up actions required and the responsible party.

o Relevant dates, times, and reference numbers for transactions or escalations.

• Notes must be clear, accurate, and entered into the CRM or call tracking system

immediately after the interaction, including the customer service representatives initial and

numbers.

• Documentation is subject to periodic quality reviews to ensure completeness and

compliance with E-ZPass standards.

2. Toll Invoice & Violation Processing

• Explain toll charges, invoices, and statements.

• Research and dispute invoices and toll transactions as needed.

• Navigate the account management system to explain the reasons invoices were issued.

• Assist customers with violation notices, administrative fees, and resolution processes.

• Process payments for toll invoices, violations, and related fees over the phone through our

IVR system or RITBA website if needed.

• Support customers who may have: DMV Holds, attend Traffic Tribunal or are sent to

Central Collections, to resolve their violation matters.

• Staff are proficient in navigating the account management system to correctly process fee

waivers, with minimal assistance required.

• Follow and understand the RITBA invoice dispute resolution process.

3. Call Center Services

• Respond to inbound calls regarding accounts, violations and general inquiries.

• Handle escalations and ensure timely resolution of complex cases

• Conduct outbound customer service calls when needed (e.g. follow-ups, or account

verification).

• Provide accurate and consistent information about E-ZPass policies and procedures.

• Educate customers about toll usage, account options, E-ZPass business rules and online

tools.

• Maintain record of call volume, response times and resolution rates.

• Generate daily, weekly and monthly performance reports to share with RITBA.

• Monitor and report recurring issues or trends to RITBA management.

4. Service Level Expectations

• Call Handling Quality- 10-to-15-minute wait times

• Average handle time- 4-10 minutes

• The Vendor shall maintain an abandoned call rate of no more than 25%, excluding calls

abandoned within the first 10-15 minutes of queue time. Performance will be evaluated in

conjunction with Average Speed of Answer (ASA) to ensure hold times remain within

acceptable service levels.

• After call work- 3-5 minutes

• First Call Resolution- 75-85% of calls resolved without escalations or callbacks

• Staff Adherence- 90-95% adherence to scheduled shifts.

• The remote call centers support RITBA business hours and holiday schedules.

• This RFP requests an initial staffing level of 30 Customer Service Representatives. Staffing

levels may fluctuate and are subject to change based on call center call volume and business

needs.

• Customer Service Representatives will follow and abide by all PCI and PII requirements

outlined by RITBA.

5. Interface

• Customer service staff will utilize the following applications:

o Secure remote access to RITBA internal system

o Emovis: Abertis Mobility Services Toll CRM and Image Review applications

o Mitel Soft Phones: Micollab and Web Ignite applications.

o Microsoft applications

• The call center shall maintain effective coordination and communication with RITBA staff

and internal IT teams.

• Notify RITBA staff immediately of any system outages, performance issues, or suspected

security incidents affecting call center operations.

• Maintain documentation of all technical issues, root cause analyses and resolutions.

• The remote call center must be capable of securely interfacing with the RITBA network

and operating all necessary applications identified above.

• Ensure all technical integrations and communication systems comply with security

standards, including PCI requirements, data encryption, and protection of personal

information.

• Support IT in performing audits, penetration tests, or security reviews related to call center

technology.

6. Training and Workforce Development

The initial training from the call center will be conducted by RITBA staff with a trainer and

supervisor from the company selected. The training process will include the following:

• Provide a structured onboarding program for all new call center agents prior to handling

live calls.

• Training must include:

o E-ZPass system operations and account management procedures.

o Tolling policies, billing rules, violation processing, and state/agency regulations.

o Customer service standards, communication skills, and de-escalation techniques.

o Use of Toll CRM systems, and Mitel soft phones

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541511Custom Computer Programming Services
• NAICS 541519Other Computer Related Services
• NAICS 541611Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
• NAICS 561210Facilities Support Services

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