Anaheim Launches 311 Customer Service Hotline

The City of Anaheim will launch "live testing" of its 311 non-emergency information hotline on Monday, June 4. Anaheim is the first city in Orange County to debut this new phone service, which will allow residents, businesses and visitors to contact City Hall through one easy to remember phone number, 311.

The hotline, available via landline to callers within city limits, is a major component of the city's customer-service initiative, Anaheim Anytime, introduced by Mayor Curt Pringle at his 2006 State of the City Address.  Callers to Anaheim's 311 service will be able to obtain answers to questions or make requests of City Hall, without having to know the exact phone number for the department they are calling. Callers using cell phones can utilize the city's 7-digit phone number, 765-4311.

The 311 system complements the Anaheim Anytime Web service, launched earlier this year, which enables residents to enter a request or question 24-hours a day, 7-days a week through the Anaheim Web site. More than 1,500 requests have already been processed through the Anaheim Anytime system, with most being addressed within 48-hours.

"Whether you have a question about an upcoming event or a request for a city service, we want to hear about it," said Pringle. "We have now made it easier for you to contact us and have your question or issue addressed. You no longer have to search for the correct phone number to call -- 311 will be the right number every time."

Customer service representatives will be available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Those who call after-hours can listen to information on frequently requested topics, look up the status of a request, or leave a message that will be addressed on the next business day.

All 311 customer service representatives are bilingual in Spanish and English, which will aid in communicating with Anaheim's diverse population. They will also undergo intense customer service and City information training in preparation for answering calls and questions. Additionally, to assist with questions and tracking requests, customer service representatives will utilize a citizen request management (CRM) system that will allow them to place service requests to various departments throughout the City.

The 311 hotline is expected to enhance emergency response times by reducing non-emergency calls to the City's 911 system operators.