Projects
Anaheim Anytime CRM and 3-1-1
City of Anaheim
Anaheim, CA
Population: 365,000
Implemented: January 2007
Solutions:- GORequest
Project Description
Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle declared in his annual address that customer service was his top priority for the City. Laying out a bold agenda, he conceived of a new program whereby the municipal government would be more responsive and accountable to resident needs.
As city staff began to translate the mayor’s vision into a workable plan, they identified several key goals for the project:
- Make contacting City Hall easy
- Make employees accountable
- Improve feedback and response times
- Keep residents “in the loop” about the status of requests
- Track the status of all requests from a central system
In evaluating possible approaches, the City selected Government Outreach as the ideal partner to implement the mayor’s vision and to take the City to the forefront of exceptional customer service.
Contacting City Hall
Residents are busier than ever and don’t often have the time to visit City Hall or contact the City during normal business hours. GORequest eliminates the typical boundaries of local government contact.
While most residents utilize the web as the preferred method for contacting the City, some prefer to talk to a live person. For these residents, the City provides a dedicated 3-1-1 (311) service where residents can reach a centralized call center that can answer questions and take requests.
Regardless of how the resident contacts the City, all calls, questions, and requests are logged into GORequest for tracking and resolution. The integrated Knowledge Base puts relevant information at the finger tips of staff while providing consistent information over the web.
Accountable Employees
Because all requests and questions are centrally tracked, management is able to evaluate the responsiveness of employees and the quality of service. Residents also complete short surveys about the services they received to provide the City with feedback on services and priorities. The City also monitors service volumes to ensure departments have the resources they need to maintain service levels.
Improving Response Times
Response times have improved dramatically since the implementation of Anaheim Anytime. Because requests are never lost, are automatically routed to the correct staff persons, and staff are provided with periodic reminders, most requests are resolved within 24 hours.
For each type of service, the City has defined acceptable levels of service or maximum response times for completing the service. Over the course of a year, most departments are achieving the service level standard more than 90% of the time and several are at 99% or better.
Keeping Residents Informed
Responding to resident requests is only half the solution for stellar customer service. Residents want to be kept in the loop so they know what to expect and when. They want to know when their concerns are addressed and how they were addressed.
GORequest keeps residents informed while saving staff time. Staff simply provides status updates within the system and the resident is automatically updated via email or telephone using text to voice technology. Additionally, residents can log into the City’s website to check the status of their request or use the automated telephone system.
Central Tracking of Requests
At the heart of the Anaheim Anytime customer service initiative is GORequest’s central tracking and monitoring of requests. It has allowed the City of Anaheim to dramatically improve their customer service and communications because:
- Requests are never lost
- Requests are completed on-time
- Standard responses are provided for common questions
- Management can monitor service levels and necessary resources
- Staff are able to collaborate for resolving requests
- A complete history of activity allows for long-term analysis and improvement
As a result, GORequest has empowered the City of Anaheim to meet its customer service goals and Anaheim Anytime serves as a model for local agencies across the country.