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Home > City Departments > Citizens Services > 311 News > Mayor Brown Hosts 100,000th Call Celebration for 311 Call and Resolution Ce

Mayor Brown Hosts 100,000th Call Celebration for 311 Call and Resolution Center

Contact: Peter K. Cutler
              851-5841


Mayor Byron W. Brown will answer the 311 Call and Resolution Center’s 100,000th service request since the Center’s launch in July 2008. The 311 Call and Resolution Center is the non-emergency line that services all the requests of City of Buffalo. 311 have increased the accessibility of city government and have held city departments accountable for all services rendered. The Call Center has focused on increasing the number of calls taken and the overall service each year. Since the launch in 2008 the Call Center has increased the number of service calls taken by 23% , decreased the length of a resolution by 57%, hold time by 36% and number of lost calls by 88%. In effort to be green the Call Center began using email to forward resolution letters rather than paper, saving the City of Buffalo $11,642.79 in 2009.


“We are extremely proud of the advances of this department, 311 have not only focused on holding departments accountable but ensuring residents that they receive excellent customer service,” Director Oswaldo Mestre of the Division of Citizen Services said. This opportunity to celebrate a monumental moment of the 311 Call and Resolution Center also gives an occasion to announce the launch of our new Customer Satisfaction Initiatives. In accordance with our recent award of Citizen-Engaged Community for 2010-2012 we are excited to increase the accountability of the City of Buffalo and all of its departments. This will be achieved through the implementation of the following initiatives; Operation Covert Caller, Operation Call Back, Customer Service Satisfaction Surveys and the more robust use of our social media channels.


The Covert Caller program will measure the service provided by 311 Call and Resolution Center operators. The quality of service and resolution of the complaint will be tested by volunteers to guarantee the highest level of service is given and proper resolutions are made. The program also works to empower city residents and build capacity for the City of Buffalo by offering them volunteer opportunities. All volunteers will complete an orientation and receive information to assist with their calls.


Operation Call Back aims to assess the satisfaction of past callers. Call agents will contact callers at random and all calls will be evenly selected from all city departments. The Management Information Systems department is currently creating a system to randomly gather past cases to better assist in the selection of callers. The Division will utilize this information to better monitor overall success of call responses.

The Customer Service Satisfaction Surveys are used to measure the overall satisfaction of taken calls. There are two surveys that are utilized throughout the life of the complaint. The first is immediately emailed after a call is taken and logged into the system. This survey measures the customer’s satisfaction of the overall call including professionalism and timeliness. Along with the solution email is an additional survey rating the service of the complaint and if the issue was properly handled.


“Each day the 311 Call and Resolution Center sets a goal to decrease the hold times, lost calls, and increase overall helpfulness, we recognize that callers are frustrated and are depending on us, so we must always do our best,” Director Mestre said. 311 has assisted community resident re-establish block clubs, reduce drug activity, clear blighted lots, board abandoned, rodent infested homes, and make Buffalo a better place to live, through citizen empowerment. It will continue to increase its responsibility to the City of Buffalo, and enable residents to make a difference in their respective communities.


Mayor Brown will open the celebration consisting of an open house of the Division of Citizen Services and open testimonials of past callers. In attendance will be representatives of the Common Council, staff of the MIS department, past Citizen Participation Academy graduates and representatives of the LAGAN System which organizes and provides statistics of all calls.


For more information, please contact the Mayor’s 311 Call and Resolution Center by dialing 3-1-1 or (716) 851-4890 or by visiting the City of Buffalo’s website at www.city-buffalo.com/311.