Columbus, Georgia

311



?Quality People Providing Quality Service?







The Columbus Consolidated Government in keeping in the tradition ?Quality

People Providing Quality Service? would like to enhance the relationship

between the citizens of Columbus and their local government and to promote the

City of Columbus? commitment to community service by providing direct access to

a call center designed to receive, relay, monitor and manage citizen requests

and insure the delivery of public service.

We plan on doing this by implementing a centralized ?3-1-1? number in

conjunction with our already highly effective call center, which has a seven

digit number (653-4000) that has proven to be successful. Utilizing the latest

technologies in the citizen relationship management industry, we wish to make

the lives of our citizens much easier.

Below are a number of challenges and opportunities that we face as we prepare

for a 3-1-1 system. By addressing the challenges as a whole and implementing a

single ?city wide? solution, the City of Columbus can maximize the efficiency

and effectiveness of our services, while improving the citizen?s experience in

doing business with the City.



Among the challenges are questions such as:



1. What are the hours that the Citizens may call?

Citizens can call in at any time to a twenty-four hour call center. From 7:00

am to 5:30 pm citizens can talk to a live well-trained operator, and from 5:30

p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and weekends citizens can leave a message that will be

reviewed and processed by the first operator in the office the next business

day. The message on the answering machine will advise the citizen to hang up

and dial 9-1-1 if the call is an emergency. If there are natural disasters

such as severe thunderstorms, tornados or hurricanes the call center operators

will be on duty taking the many calls that accompany severe weather.

2. Is the system connected to the other city departments?

Yes, the system works hand and hand with all agencies within the Columbus

Consolidated Government that handles non-emergency situations. If any of our

well-trained operators receive a call that is of an emergency nature the call

will be immediately transferred to 9-1-1 or the proper office. If a call is

transferred from 3-1-1 to 9-1-1, the 3-1-1 operator will remain on the line

until the call has been properly delivered to a 9-1-1 operator. (In the

advertising of 3-1-1, we will be distinct and descriptive in showing the

differences between all three-digit numbers).

3. What area will be able to utilize the 3-1-1 number?

All Columbus and Muscogee County area residents within BellSouth service area

will be able to utilize this number. Local business with PBX voice switches

with routing capabilities will need to re-program for this unique dialing

arrangement. We will correspond with them to encourage participation. If

anyone from any of the surrounding areas happens to call seeking information or

to submit a complaint concerning the Columbus/Muscogee County area our

operators will be glad to help them. If anyone from any of the neighboring

areas call seeking information concerning their City or County our well-trained

operators are prepared to give them numbers to their City Government but no

complaints will be taken or handled.



4. What is the call volume?

Our call center currently receives on average about 19,355 calls per month.

During the summer months a higher volume of calls are normally received. The

winter months, unless there is snow and ice normally show a lower call volume.

5. How many operators are needed to accomplish the over all goal?

Our call center currently employs five well-trained operators, one secretary,

one assistant and one manager, which thus far have proven to be sufficient in

carrying out operations. If at anytime the operators are overwhelmed by a

drastic increase in call volume, the manager, assistant and secretary will all

act as operators. Our goal is to avoid citizens being transferred from one

call area to another, lost complaints, complaints not being monitored, and

citizen frustration with government.









MISSION STATEMENT





Our mission is to provide quality service, and to enhance the relationship

between the citizens of Columbus and their local government and to promote the

City of Columbus? commitment to community service by providing direct access to

a call center designed to receive, relay, monitor and manage citizen requests

and insure the delivery of quality public service, by quality people.



THE TEAM







Every department within the Columbus Consolidated Government is in our line-up,

therefore, if there is a citizen need the corresponding office is prepared to

step up to the plate and supply the need or solve the problem. We have an

impressive line-up from the Mayor?s Office and the City Manager?s Office to

Waste Collection with 3-1-1 being the doorway.







Mayor?s Office

City Manager?s Office

Fire/EMS

Civic Center Events

Public Services/Waste Collection

Recreation/ Leisure ServicesLegal/courtsConvention/Trade Center

Community Development/ Planning Tax/Tags Office Public Transportation

Before & After

School programsEngineering Visitor Information

Emergency911Public SafetyEmployment Information















Opportunity



3-1-1 is a great opportunity to walk the walk and show the citizens that when

we say, ?Quality People Providing Quality service? we really mean it.





Business Concept



Implement a centralized ?3-1-1 number? that would make receiving city services

easier for the Citizens of Columbus. By implementing 3-1-1, our Information

Technology Office can work in conjunction with our Call Center to utilize the

latest technologies in the citizen relationship management industry. This will

provide the Call Center with the ability to evolve in an ever-changing world

and to consistently meet the needs of the Citizens.

$COST$



The 3-1-1 system has not been tariffed in Georgia; BellSouth would have to do a

?special assembly? to determine the pricing. The special assembly charge to

establish the rates could be $200 or $300. The estimated total cost to

implement the service in Columbus would be approximately $855.00, for a

one-time cost of $1,055.00 to $1,155.00.



When 311 is tariffed in Georgia, the one time costs would only be $855.00

assuming the rate structure follows the same path as other states.

Columbus





311

And The Job Is Done!!!







Call Center

? Call Center has been up and running since 1985, so our Call Center has proven

to be highly effective and efficient. The 3-1-1 is simply an improvement on an

already great system.

? Operators are well-trained on software and inter-workings of the City

? Large amount of time spent on scripting and data collection. (Teaching our

operators what to say, when to say it and how to say it, as well as providing

them with information and teaching them how to collect information that may be

needed to properly answer any questions.)

? Call Center currently staffs five (5) well-trained operators, one secretary,

one assistant and one manager, which thus far have proven to be sufficient in

carrying out operations. If at anytime the operators are overwhelmed by a

drastic increase in call volume, the manager, assistant and secretary will all

act as operators.

? Hours of operation: 7:00 am until 5:30 pm. After-hours calls routed to voice

mail.

? A pre-recorded message informs Citizens that if their call is an emergency to

immediately, hang up and dial 911.

? If there are natural disasters such as severe thunderstorms, tornados or

hurricanes the call center operators will be on duty taking the many calls that

accompany severe weather.



Challenges & Concerns



Even though 311 can be implemented at a relatively low cost, there are issues

to be aware of.



? Access to 3-1-1 may not be available to the following classes of service:

Payphone Service Provider Telephones (PSPs)

Hotel/Motel/Hospital Service

1+

0+

0+, 0- (Credit Card, Third Party Billing, Collect Calls)

Inmate Services

101xxxx

Cellular-Type 2A

Competitive Local Exchange Services



? BellSouth is not the service provider for all of these services and can not

control the call routing. Implementing the service would mean that Columbus

Consolidated Government would have to encourage and work with all other service

providers to insure 3-1-1 calls are routed the same way that BellSouth will be

routing. Local businesses with PBX voice switches with routing capabilities

may also have to re-program for this unique dialing arrangement.

? Columbus Consolidated Government already provides an easy to remember call

number for citizens with 653-4000. The only difference between what we are

doing now and using 3-1-1 is the number of digits dialed. Our current

arrangement could be viewed as more effective, since a local 7-digit number can

be dialed from virtually any class of service.

? Some communities also have the concern that having services so similar to

9-1-1 makes that service less effective. In an emergency situation, you don?t

want a confused citizen trying to remember 3-1-1 vs. 9-1-1 for emergency calls.







Combating

Challenges & Concerns





Concern: BellSouth is not the service provider for a variety of services and

can-not control the call routing, and that implementing the service would mean

that Columbus Consolidated Government would have to invite and encourage other

service providers to re-program their systems to allow 3-1-1 calls to be routed

to the Citizens Service Center the same as BellSouth.



The Project Manager and the Deputy City Manager will handle the process. A

list of the local businesses to be contacted has been completed and upon the

word to proceed the process will began. After talking to the communications

department at one major employer, it appears that re-programming their system

to implement the service is a very simple process that will be of no cost.



Concern: Columbus Consolidated Government already provides an easy to remember

call number for the Citizens Service Center with 653-4000. The only difference

between what we are doing now and using 3-1-1 is the number of digits that must

be dialed.



Our current arrangement could be viewed as more effective, since a local

7-digit number can be dialed from virtually any class of service.



If the decision is made to take on 3-1-1, and local companies re-program their

systems to allow 3-1-1 calls from within the business, then 3-1-1 can be dialed

from virtually any class of service in our area. Even if some companies or

cellular phone providers do not choose to take on 3-1-1, citizens will still be

able to contact the Call Center using the original 7- digit number. The

reality of the implementation is a 3-1-1 call would be directed to 653-4000.

In other words 3-1-1 is a speed dial number for 653-4000.





Concern: N11 Phantom Call Issue

After implementing N11 service in multiple markets through out BellSouth, some

customers began receiving an abnormally high amount of calls where the calling

party appeared to be hanging up or simply cut off for some reason. It has been

determined that most of these calls are placed erroneously by telephone lines

or customer premise equipment that are part of the N11 service area. In all

cases, BellSouth, independent telephone companies, and competitive local

exchange carriers were forwarding Phantom Calls to the N11 Center telephone

lines.



Concern: Liability Concerns



Liability could be an issue when a confused caller dials 3-1-1 instead of

9-1-1. The City/County provides both services, so it could be argued that the

caller did reach the City/County and therefore liability exists or is assumed.