
DCA’s Consumer Information Center includes both the Call Center and the Correspondence Unit.
“Operators are standing by!” That as-seen-on-TV motto is more than true of the Department of Consumer Affairs’ (DCA) Consumer Information Center (CIC) Call Center, where employees field thousands of questions each day from licensees, applicants, and everyday Californians.
Call Center staff are committed to providing clear, user-friendly information. They answer individuals’ questions on the spot, transfer or refer callers to the best Department contact, or identify the government agencies and community organizations that can best address callers’ needs if necessary.
“No two calls are ever the same,” said CIC Call Center manager Paul Rahul. “One call will be from an individual looking to become licensed as a manicurist, the next will be from someone wanting to find out about how to get a guard card, and the next will be a senior concerned about being taken advantage of by a local car mechanic. Every call is totally unique.”
Rahul, who has been supervising the CIC Call Center for nearly seven years, credits the Call Center and CIC employees themselves as well as extremely supportive DCA management with the center’s success in providing essential, educational, and empowering consumer and licensee information to hundreds of thousands of callers each year.
“The service our employees provide is worn like a badge of honor,” said Rahul. “I’m so proud of my staff—they can pivot on a dime at any time. They take such pride in their work: They treat every question as a quest to make sure the caller is taken care of. CIC employees are on the frontlines of public service and, even during the pandemic, they have been there providing answers for the people of California.”
Anything else Rahul wants Californians to know about the CIC Call Center?
“We’re out there, ready to take calls!” he replied.
Consumers may also write to the CIC Correspondence Unit at dca@dca.ca.gov or visit www.dca.ca.gov.