“Within 12 months of the digital 311 app launch, 15% of the reports were submitted digitally and directly into Cityworks. Additionally, the new methods of communication resulted in no significant increase in total requests.”
Empowering government to build better resident and employee experiences and get more value out of their civic engagement technology.
Learn More- Success Story
- Longview, TX
How Longview, TX created a successful, digital resident service request management platform
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Overview
The city of Longview, located in East Texas between Dallas and Shreveport, LA, was looking for ways to increase service to its residents, so the city council investigated a traditional 311 resident service center. They hired consultants to analyze the project’s feasibility, including the necessary resources and projected costs, but soon realized a traditional service center (with agents answering live phone calls) would be too expensive. Instead, the city decided to use the Granicus 311 request management solution, which cultivated transparency, saved money, and reduced calls and in-person visits by 15% in the first year alone.
Metrics
- One-to-one communication between government and resident
- 15% fewer phone calls after one year
- $1 per interaction (down from $10/call)
- $8K saved in year one
Must have Granicus Solutions
Situation
Improve Customer Service, Stay in Budget
Determined not to be discouraged, Justin Cure, information services manager at the city of Longview, saw an opportunity to implement a more sophisticated, digital 311 service instead, which would allow residents to report issues directly from a smartphone or the web. He wanted a solution that could:
- Integrate directly into Cityworks, their call center partner, for service request and work order management
- Reduce manual data entry
- Simplify intake of resident service requests
- Fit within the city’s budget
Solution
Reduce Costs, Optimize Service Functionality
The city of Longview selected the Granicus 311 request management solution, including its brandable mobile app and waste reminder service add-ons, to provide a centralized hub for staff to manage and track service requests. Now, residents simply take a picture or video of their request, enter some basic information, and click ‘submit’ to send a service request to the city. In just one year, the city of Longview saved about $8,000 and shifted away from phone calls and in-person service requests to mobile and web requests that require much less staff time and coordination. Additionally, the Cityworks API allows two-way information sharing that keeps users abreast of status updates as they happen. This automatic 311 feedback loop streamlines the way the city manages interactions between staff and residents and enables real-time community updates.
Results
Increased Access and Communication
Longview’s digital 311 resident service platform provides one-to-one communication between government and residents without additional staff resources, which allows the city to foster more transparency with residents by increasing their access to information. With the success of the initial rollout, Longview has expanded its service offering to become a digital city hall. Residents can go online to pay water bills and traffic tickets, view trash/recycling pick up times, and register for parks and recreation activities, just to name a few services.