Modernizing Ward Technology Leads to Higher Response Rate

Since the beginning of Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth’s term in May 2023, our team has been modernizing the technology we use to communicate with neighbors and respond to concerns to ensure that we’re providing city services as efficiently and thoroughly as possible. We’re happy to report that this has led to significant growth in the following areas:

311 Requests
In Summer 2023, we brought in an AirTable consultant to build a customized CRM specifically for handling neighborhood service requests. This consultant built similar CRMs for other alders in Chicago that are known for their efficient and speedy customer service. This has resulted in a significant increase in closed 311 requests. Between May 2023 and March 2024, 20% more 311 requests were closed than in the same period the year prior.

Zoom Phone
We have contracted with Zoom to help provide the most seamless way possible for contacting our team. Zoom Phone allows our team to pick up the office phone from anywhere, even when out in the field, and allows us to track many helpful statistics. As we were building the team last summer, we were picking up the phone before it went to voicemail 80% of the time. That wasn't good enough for us, and we heard your feedback.

In 2024, we made changes to staffing and phone settings in order to improve our pick-up rate. In February and March, our team picked up the phone before it went to voicemail 95% of the time, an increase of nearly 19% from the 2023 pick-up rate. Voicemails that are left are answered within the next business day.

Feedback Welcome!
We are always looking to improve our systems and customer service. Have an issue in the ward or feedback for our team? Contact us at info@the48thward.org, 773-784-5277, or by filling out our online service request form. We look forward continuing to grow and improve in our ability to serve the 48th ward.