The economic crisis has put financial stress on middle class families. These challenges are often because of unforeseen circumstances, such as a job loss or illness. New Jersey SHARES provides relief to people who are not eligible for other types of assistance. It is the only statewide, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides grants to pay the utility bills of households in need through a statewide network of more than 213 community-based social service agencies operating out of 238 sites. Kimberly Warrick, Client Service Center Manager of New Jersey SHARES, oversees New Jersey SHARES' two call centers and in this economy, it is crucial for her to assist her call center representatives in providing excellent customer service. Because of the increased financial strain on the middle class, Warrick must accommodate a higher call volume. Warrick, who will be sharing the New Jersey Shares call center case study at IQPC's Call Center Week this June in Las Vegas, speaks with Customer Management IQ’s Blake Landau about her presentation "Pre-Hiring Strategies-Beyond Background Checking to Reduce Turnover Costs and Increase Customer Experience." She focuses on why call center representatives need to be educated in many sensitive topics and bring their A game to the phones each day. Warrick knows call center representatives are the first line of contact with the customer and act as the face and words of the organization. Warrick describes how NJS has streamlined the task of hiring, the interview process, the background check and the need to weed out bad apples.