3-1-1 FACT SHEET

IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH 3-1-1

(published to the website 9.02.2004)
On Monday, August 27, 2001 the City of Houston launched the 3-1-1 Houston Service Center, a consolidated call center that provides citizens with one easy-to-remember telephone number for quick, reliable access to city services, 7 days a week, from 6 AM to 12 Midnight. This call center makes City government more accessible and responsive to City residents.

The main component of the 3-1-1 Houston Service Helpline is the three-digit phone number, accessible from within the Houston city limits. From traffic fines and sewer concerns to pothole problems and neighborhood complaints, Houstonians can call 3-1-1 and speak to one of our highly trained customer service representatives. From outside the City of Houston you must call (713) 837-0311. In addition, Houstonians can access this helpful service via fax, at (713) 837-0210, and e-mail, to 311@cityofhouston.net. A service request form is available online at www.houstontx.gov/311/311form.html.

3-1-1 Telecommunicators process requests for information or services. Requests for a specific city service like a pothole repair or a traffic signal malfunction, will result in the creation of a Service Request in the 3-1-1 Customer Service Request system (CSR), which can be tracked from start to finish. More than 300 specific service request types have been identified and scripted within the system, and over 1500 frequently asked questions have been identified and scripted within the system. This system routes each request to the appropriate department and assigns a deadline for field investigation and resolution. If the same individual or someone else subsequently reports the same problem, the CSR system will notify staff that it is a duplicate request so that up-to-the-minute status can be reported to the caller.

3-1-1 enables the city to greatly enhance levels of customer service and citizen satisfaction. The system also enables the city to keep pace with modern technology, allowing requests to be submitted by email, internet, phone, letter or fax.

The CSR system provides increased accountability for city departments and their personnel. The system generates numerous reports by department, by division within a department, by service request type, council districts, zip codes, key map locations, participants, and by geographic area. Regular reports identify any outstanding service requests that have not been resolved within the designated timeframe. This provides greater opportunity for management/supervision of department personnel and assessment of the impact of deployed resources.

At the close of Fiscal Year 04, the 3-1-1 Houston Service Helpline received approximately 2.1 million calls, and nearly 13 thousand requests were received via email.

Whats Next?
The 3-1-1 Houston Service Helpline has grown in record numbers. We are currently increasing our staffing levels with new employees to keep pace with our growing call volumes as the residents and neighbors of Houston become more reliant on the 3-digit access to city services. Additionally, Council Offices, as well as the current mayoral administration have taken a strong interest in the advantages of managing city services via the reporting capabilities of the application. Therefore, we are stepping up training opportunities, for new users. Many of our new trainees are out of the offices of elected or appointed officials, who have requested their staff utilize the CSR system.

In late fall of 2004, a new release of CSR will be available which will include WEB access. By early spring of 2005, customers will be able to create their own service request, which will go directly to the department for processing.

The 3-1-1 Houston Service Helpline puts City government at your fingertips – one call, fax or e-mail and you can get answers, find the right person, or have your City service problems solved.