Houstonians' days of frustrating interactions with city government are long gone.

For those who prefer human interaction over e-mails and Web sites -- or simply don't have Internet access -- Houston has opened a 311 call center that addresses all questions from pothole complaints to "What's going on in town this weekend?"

As Gloria Bingham, director of Houston's 311 call center, puts it: "If it's not an emergency -- and I don't care what it is -- simply dial 311."

The project, strongly supported by former Houston Mayor Lee P. Brown, emerged in 2001 with the core mission of simplifying constituents' lives while alleviating 911 dispatchers' workload by diverting nonemergency calls to a new, easy-to-remember number.

Nearly five years later, with the help of cutting-edge technology and innovative ideas proven in dire situations, Houston can safely say: Mission accomplished.


The 411 on 311
Constituents everywhere are entitled to open and effective information channels with their government -- and residents of the fourth-largest U.S. city are no exception. For Houston, which boasts a sprawling 600-square-mile area, a population of more than 2 million, and millions of tourists yearly, keeping residents and visitors informed is no small task. According to Bingham, however, implementing a 311 Helpline was the best way to do just that.

Before the Helpline began taking its first calls, Houstonians had hundreds of 1-800 numbers to help solve various problems, but even then, Bingham said, the answers were not always easy to get.

"They would call one department, only to be transferred to another one," she said of frustrated constituents. "Now Houston would like to think of 311 as one-stop shopping."

The center consists of skilled call agents gathered from several local agencies to field a wide array of questions. Their expertise in multiple areas allows them to directly address constituents' concerns, or refer and transfer them to the correct agency.

In addition, Houston was the first city to incorporate a court system into a 311 environment, Bingham explained, adding that a large portion of callers seek court information. "We have more than 2.3 million calls on an annual basis; out of that, 1.3 million customers call us about court-related issues," she said. "We answer things from 'My court date' to 'How do I pay a ticket?'"

At nearly any time of the day, the 311 call center answers questions that help constituents go about their daily business. The 86 Helpline staff agents answer calls seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Although Helpline agents speak some other languages, such as Spanish and Korean, Bingham said, they can also contact a toll-free language line and bring a translator to a conversation. "There is no language that we're not able to assist here in the call center," she added.

Although the 311 call center initially appealed to those who preferred phone interactions, as of June 1, 2005, it began accommodating those for whom e-mail and e-commerce are the most convenient ways to communicate and conduct business. "We also have Web enablement," Bingham said, "where citizens who want to do their service request make a report to us online."

With this service, Houstonians can e-mail agents, or submit their own reports directly to the right agency via the center's Web site. From this Web portal, they can request curb repairs or street light maintenance, and report problems, such as a missed garbage pickup or poor water quality.

"Citizens e-mail us, from not just here locally in Houston, but from all over the country," Bingham added, recalling an instance where a former resident, who had relocated to Alaska, e-mailed the Helpline to find out how to begin a divorce procedure. Although it was not something the call center could directly assist her with, Bingham explained, the