PHILADELPHIA – During a celebratory event, today Philly311 Call Center staff commemorated its 10th year of operation with a visit from Mayor Jim Kenney and other city officials. Since its founding in December 2008, Philly311 handled close to 10 million interactions for non-emergency city services like potholes, graffiti abatement, and snow plowing. Agents at Philly311 have provided over 6 million information requests and processed over 3 million service requests as a result of those calls.
“Philly311 is at the core of an efficient and effective government,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “Their agents are skilled and knowledgeable on all aspects of City operations and are there to help residents get their requests handled in a timely manner. We look forward to seeing how they innovate their service delivery for the next decade.”
Philly311 by the Numbers (2008-2018):
- 9,419,589 calls received
- 6,008,322 information requests processed
- 3,004,114 service requests processed
- The average call time to Philly311 was 3 minutes, 24 seconds
- 381,328 requests submitted via the Philly311 app
Top Philly311 Service Requests (2008-2018)
- 99,552 graffiti abatement requests received
- 87,227 pothole & street defect requests received
- 17,972 new fire alarm installation requests received
When founded in 2008, Philly311 services were only available by phone or walk-in. In 2012, constituent access to municipal services increased dramatically with the implementation of the Philly311 mobile app. The app allowed for constituents to report the full array of service requests and supplement those requests with pictures. This also allowed citizens to report issues at the fraction of the time and at a lower cost to the City.
To further improve operations, Philly311 is currently working to launch a new mobile design in 2019. Plans include utilizing cloud computing and smart technology to enhance coordination with departments city-wide. When complete, the new mobile design will tie directly into City systems enabling seamless usage of City resources and improved mapping capabilities.
“We’re always striving for new ways to empower residents and maximize service delivery at Philly311.” said Graham Quinn, Director of Philly311. “Our focus has always been to optimize our technology so that when a request is submitted, we can aim to deliver accurate information, timely updates and ultimately solve the problem.This is increasingly important as we continue to receive more and more requests each year.”
Philly311’s technology-first platform allows their agents to be nimble and adapt to serve Philadelphians during major City events and programs. Most recently, Philly311 activated to provide information on the 2015 Papal visit, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and the 2018 Super Bowl Parade. In October, Philly311 launched a team of four agents dedicated to receiving and responding to all service requests that come in about The Philadelphia Resilience Project, the City’s emergency response to combat the opioid crisis. Services are available in English and Spanish.
About Philly311
Philly311’s goal is to provide world-class service across all channels, by phone (dial 3-1-1), email (Philly311@phila.gov), mobile app, web (https://www.phila.gov/311) and social media (@Philly311 on Twitter). When residents submit a request, Philly311 aims to deliver timely updates and accurate information. By working closely with city departments, Philly311 develops valuable insights that help to improve our city.
Philly311 Turns 10 Digital Assets