‍Help your citizens find information about your city or municipality

311 is a non-emergency phone number that people can call in many cities to find information about services, make complaints, or report problems like graffiti or road damage. Even in cities where a different phone number is used, 311 is the generally recognized moniker for non-emergency phone systems.

Ensuring that your city has adequate channels for responding to these kinds of calls is essential in maintaining a good relationship with your citizens. In addition, a 311 service allows your citizens to act as the eyes and ears of your city, streamlining repair requests and reported problems.

This type of service demands high response availability for whoever wants to minimize impacts by rapidly transmitting citizens’ concerns to public works teams.

Calls for information about services offered by your city

These types of calls include queries such as:

• Opening hours of the local pool or library
• Information regarding courses or activities offered by the city
• Where to acquire a recycling bin

Citizen complaints

These types of calls include complaints such as:

• Excessive noise in a particular area
• Dangerous animals

Calls to report problems

These types of calls are to report:

• Graffiti
• Road damage
• Unsatisfactory snow removal
• Water-related issues, including reporting no water service.
• Report a missed collection of recycling or garbage
• Broken traffic light
• Fallen traffic sign
• Slippery road
• Leaky fire hydrant
• Displaced manhole cover
• Defective street lighting
• Fallen electrical wires
• Roadkill

Service request calls

When a citizen wishes to request a service, they will call 311 to ask for things like:

• Snow removal
• Request pick-up of hazardous waste
• Request for a recycling, organics or garbage bin related issue.
• Report an overflowing litter bin, graffiti or litter on a sidewalk or boulevard.
• Request a tree planting, pruning or removal.
  

There are three types of answering services for 311 calls: 

• Pre-recorded messages with menu options.
• Call center services wherein callers speak with real people who have the answers to their most common questions, and the ability to request a follow-up when they do not have the answer.
• A combination of the two, wherein the caller goes through the pre-recorded messages, and then chooses to speak to a real person if they did not find the information or resource they were looking for.

Though some cities use an automated and pre-recorded answering system, this system alone may not be enough to provide all the information your citizens need. 

In cases like these, you can give your citizens the opportunity to speak with one of our experienced representatives who will handle the call efficiently and professionally. 

If a caller goes through the process of dialing the correct number to find the information they are looking for, and still have questions, our call center staff are equipped to take these calls and transmit the information to the right resources.

Advantages of using an answering service for 311 calls

• High response availability to your location’s citizens.
• Highest client service quality.
• Improved material and human resources management.
• Instant message reception on your preferred communication tool, i.e. text message, email or phone call.
• Optional message transmittal escalation adapted to each situation emergency level.

Service may also include:

• An online management interface that integrates reports
• Optional follow-up for open service tickets
• Computer or phone satisfaction survey
  

This service is available to you 24 hours/day, 365 days/year.