Winnipeg's 311 introduces new menu options for callers
311 changes aimed at reducing wait times and improving service, says manager
The next time Winnipeggers need to call 311 to report a dog on the loose or brown water, they'll hear a new selection of menu options.
The City of Winnipeg has changed the way it delivers 311 telephone service. Instead of reaching a generic 311 operator, the City now offers five menu options to streamline callers.
New menu options at 311:
- Water or sewer inquiries.
- Assessment and tax questions.
- Animal services requests.
- TeleBUS schedule information.
- All other city services.
"We wanted to improve [and] provide better service to our residents," said Rica Mangahas, manager of Winnipeg's 311 call centre.
By choosing from different menu options, residents will be connected to call-takers who have specialized knowledge related to their inquiries, she said.
"We are hoping these changes will decrease our wait times and provide more accurate and efficient information to the public," said Mangahas.
One of the new 311 menu options is simply a direct connection to the city's automated transit information line, TeleBUS.
Last year the city spent $1.4 million on calls to 311 about bus schedules. While available online and through the TeleBUS service, calls related to bus times are still the most frequent type of calls to 311.
311 wait times have increased substantially in recent years. In 2010, the average time it took 311 operators to answer calls was one minute, 21 seconds; in 2015, that wait time grew to two minutes, 56 seconds.