The Global Association for Contact Center Best Practices & Networking

Jan 17, 2012 -- Don't be calling Greenwich a city. But the place where New Yorkers often go to escape is poised to emulate the city that never sleeps.

In an effort to improve constituent services and track requests for services, First Selectman Peter Tesei is looking to create a 311 call center later this year that would be similar to those used by a growing number of U.S. cities.

Residents and businesses would be able to dial 311 on their telephones with questions, complaints and troubleshooting requests related to a variety of quality of life issues, from downed tree limbs to potholes.

"The overall goal is to be able to have people make inquiries and then respond and track how the particular inquiry is addressed, and then close it out," Tesei told Greenwich Time in a recent interview.

Re-elected to his third term in November, Tesei has delegated the implementation of the initiative to Town Administrator John Crary, who said the concept of a 311 call center has been under consideration for a few years but was pushed to the back burner because of more pressing projects and the recession.

"We need to set up an institutional system that will improve the way we do business, and this is a step in that direction," Crary said.

Town officials are still trying to determine if all citizen-related requests would be funneled through a centralized call center or whether individual municipal departments and agencies would designate an employee to track such requests.

"I don't know what's the best way to go for a community of our complexity," Crary said. "We might be comparable to a city of half a million."

The town currently lacks a uniform system for tracking constituent requests, which are handled differently by each town department and agency. They are received directly by departments or through the main switchboard number at Town Hall, which is 203-622-7700.

"At the same time, we want to keep everything centralized," Tesei said.

The Department of Public Works has software for monitoring requests from residents and businesses, technology not available to other agencies.

"Everybody does their own thing," Crary said.

Crary estimated that the computer software for a 311 system would cost under $100,000. The operational costs for a call center are still being determined by the town.

Members of Tesei's administration are expected to engage in further discussions on the initiative during the spring with the Board of Estimate and Taxation, which is already examining potential efficiencies among the ranks of administrative staff to offset additional costs.

Tesei emphasized that the efficiencies would be accomplished through attrition, not layoffs, and require union consent.

One of the things that the town is examining is whether administrative staff can be shifted between different municipal departments during peak periods to get the most out of each position.

"Some of that has already occurred when you look at the overall reductions that have taken place," Tesei said.

Crary said it all boils down to customer service in a town where expectations are high.

"Basically, it deals with any contact with your customers and business. How did we respond to it and was it effective?" Crary said. "It goes right back to performance measurements and accountability."

Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: http://www.greenwichtime.com

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