RESTORING CORE CONSTITUENT SERVICES: CITY OF PITTSBURGH'S 311 RESPONSE CENTER

Upon taking office, Mayor Gainey heard from multiple departments, including 311 staff, that its customer service center needed executive level support to modernize their work, develop Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for all service request types, and deliver faster and more consistent results for customers. In 2023, Mayor Gainey made the bold move to transition the 311 Response Center into the Office of Neighborhood Services, in order to begin addressing some of the critical organizational challenges the center was facing. 

“The Office of Neighborhood Services is the bridge between city government and the communities we serve,” said Mayor Ed Gainey.  “It was only right that we housed the 311 Response Center within this department as they connect constituents to city departments that can best resolve the issues they are facing.”  “Whether it’s an overgrown lot or a pothole that needs to be filled, our 311 representatives work to make connections to get these issues resolved for our residents, ultimately providing the exceptional customer care and service our residents should expect from city government.”   

Data from the 311 Response Center indicate early success is already in motion as a result of these focused efforts, especially in the level of engagement with residents who live in Extreme Need and High Need Communities (Allegheny County Needs Index).  While municipal call centers across the country are known to be more heavily utilized by more affluent communities, the Office of Neighborhood Services has prioritized outreach about 311 in neighborhoods where data indicates lower numbers of service requests.  Since moving to Neighborhood Services in 2023, 311 has received a 46% increase in resident requests from Extreme Need and High Need neighborhoods.  

“Transitioning to the Mayor's Office has been instrumental in improving response time, and establishing SLA's will take us to the next level of customer satisfaction by providing transparency and realistic expectations,” said Wendy Urbanic, 311 Manager  “Our commitment to strengthened partnerships with all city departments and continued improvements for the public is just the beginning of our journey to provide the best customer experience possible.” 

In close partnership with all city departments, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services has launched a Customer Service Modernization initiative with a focus on building a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to go live by Q1 of 2025. The new system will utilize a modern, constituent-focused, Salesforce-based platform to improve accessibility and usability of the entire 311 user experience, both on the front end for city residents and on the back end for city staff.  

After completing a thorough and competitive bid process, the City of Pittsburgh has partnered with Accenture as our selected vendor to lead this build out, which will also include a new citizen mobile app for residents to submit and track status on service requests. The Office of Neighborhood Services will engage members of the public in early user testing of the new system in 2024 Q4 as part of the City of Pittsburgh’s celebration of National Customer Service week. More details on how to engage in early user testing are forthcoming and will be posted on the Office of Neighborhood Services EngagePGH Hub. 

The 311 Response Center continues to be a critical service for residents, and we will continue working to serve every resident in an effective and equitable manner.