The 311 Story

In February of 2003, the City of Chattanooga launched its new 311 Service Center, making Chattanooga one of the first mid-size U.S. cities to implement a “One Call to City Hall” program.  311 gives citizens easy access to city services, effectively replacing the often-confusing phone book “blue” pages.  Today, citizens who need to request a service or report an issue can simply dial 3-1-1 to speak to a customer service representative, or visit the 311 website.   By the end of 2004, 311 service representatives had handled 260,386 calls and entered 153,588 requests for service.  Customer service ratings remain high.

Besides improving the city’s customer service capability, 311 has given the city an important tool for measuring performance.  City managers now have a centralized data collection and reporting vehicle to help them analyze trends in service requests and the timeliness and effectiveness of service delivery. Directors and supervisors are also using 311 data during the budget planning process to help determine resources needed for the upcoming fiscal year. 

For more information about government performance, see chattanoogaRESULTS.

For more on 311, see More About 311

Articles and Press Releases

311 in Time Magazine

Chief Financial Officer and Chief Information Officer Interview on Government Innovation

Chattanooga's 311 now available 24 hours a day online

City's 311 Press Releases

From the City of Chicago 311 Seminar, "Application in Mid-Sized Cities: 311 and chattanoogaRESULTS"