311 reports call volumes steady; new website and app planned to boost self‑service

Ellen, 311 manager, updated the committee on Spokane's centralized customer‑service operation (311). She said 311 supports nine city departments directly, operates weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (phone) with a front counter open 8 a.m.–5 p.m., and that the app and website are available 24/7.

Staffing: Ellen said the team consists of 12 specialists, two supervisors, a quality/training manager and a director; average on‑the‑job staffing is about 11 employees because the role is an entry point into city careers and internal transfers are common. She reported an average vacancy duration of 34 days and five vacancies in 2024 — all internal transfers.

Workload: The 311 program receives roughly 12,000 calls per month; roughly 70% of customers call by phone, 9% by email, 6% at the front counter, 8% through utility billing processing and 7% via the website/app. Utility‑billing work now represents a larger share following a 2024 pilot; the 311 team now processes most incoming utility mail‑in payments.

Performance: Ellen said the team answers most calls quickly, with an average answer time of about 62 seconds and average handling time of roughly 3 minutes and 50 seconds. She said Monday is typically the busiest day and that call‑abandon rates are higher when staffing variability occurs.

Website/app changes: Ellen presented mockups of a redesigned Spokane 311 site and mobile app intended to increase self‑service from the current 7% to a higher level by making the most‑frequent requests more visible and improving mobile usability. She said the vendor is the same but the city will adopt updated branding to make 311 easier to find on the city website and that the launch will coincide with a refreshed city web presence.

Ending

Committee members thanked staff for the update; Ellen invited questions and said staff would return with the launch timeline and additional metrics after vendor testing.