City of Greater Sudbury looking to improve 311 service

There are changes coming to Sudbury's municipal call service, 311, as a new customer service and community engagement strategy is due before city council in November.

The number is the first point of contact between residents and the city. People can call the number with questions, complaints or to request assistance for municipal services, including tax bills, building permits, water main breaks and discoloured water.

The report and the research behind it, is being compiled by the city's communications department. Director Eliza Bennett says a public education campaign is included in the plan.

"One of the things that we are working on currently is … an educational campaign about what 311 is about and what services you can expect to get when you call," she said.

Sudbury CAO Ed Archer says about a quarter of the calls to 311 are people wanted to be transferred to a specific city staffer or department.

"We have technology options that we don't use today that we could introduce like an electronic staff directory that allows you to search by name that would make those types of choices less likely to happen and caller can go directly to the person they need to speak to," he said.

The strategy will also include more training for 311 staff, so residents can get problems resolved during that first point of contact.