Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway, Chief Information and Innovation Officer Rahul N. Merchant, Mayor’s Office of Operations Director Liz Weinstein and NYC311 Executive Director Joe Morrisroe today commemorated ten years of NYC311, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive government information and services center. Announced by Mayor Bloomberg in his 2002 State of the City Address and launched on March 9, 2003, NYC311 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in nearly 180 languages and now serves more than 60,000 customers filing 7,700 daily requests via phone, online and text message. Since its launch, NYC311 has received more than 158 million calls and has been a clearinghouse for all things New York City government, providing information on more than 4,000 topics, routing details to the appropriate City agencies and providing customers with service request numbers for use in tracking the progress of their inquiry. In doing so, NYC311 has helped increase the accessibility and responsiveness of City agencies, allowing them to better focus on the key public services they provide. In addition, NYC311 has served as a model for non-emergency government service delivery operations, hosting hundreds of delegations from dozens of countries and many major cities in the United States while they designed their own 311 operations. In honor of ten years of NYC311, the Empire State Building will be lit yellow tonight. Mayor Bloomberg marked the milestone at the NYC311 customer service center this morning in Lower Manhattan.

“For more than a decade, our Administration has worked to implement technology solutions that help make real differences for New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “For nearly all that time, NYC311 has been among the most successful examples of that work. I congratulate all the staff at NYC311 – from the front-line call takers to the support teams that ensure the information provided to the public is straightforward, accurate and concise – on their contribution to our city. Day or night, rain or shine, these dedicated men and women have answered the call of their fellow New Yorkers, and they continue to help us make New York City government more responsive and accountable.”

“NYC311 has revolutionized the way New Yorkers interact with City government and continually evolves to meet New Yorkers’ needs,”said Deputy Mayor for Operations Holloway. “Perhaps most impressive, through strong management, 311 has dramatically improved customer satisfaction even has its operations have had to adapt to do more with less – like all City agencies.  Congratulations to 311 Executive Director Joe Morrisroe, Saadia Chaudhry, Director of Customer Management, and the entire NYC311 team on 10 great years; the next 10 will be even better.”

“I am honored to join Mayor Bloomberg in commemorating NYC311 on ten years of stellar service to the residents of the greatest city in the world,” said Chief Information and Innovation Officer Merchant. “When the Department of Information and Technology and Telecommunications built NYC311 more than ten years ago, we knew we were putting something special in place. To know that it stands today as the pre-eminent customer service center of its kind is a tribute to the Mayor’s vision, the tireless dedication of our front-line staff and the technological innovation that continues to make New York City a model for all others.”

“Customer service is at the heart of the work New York City agencies do daily,” said Liz Weinstein. “And the better job NYC311 does at providing information and ensuring requests are filed appropriately and efficiently, the better job those agencies can do in meeting – and exceeding – the expectations of New Yorkers. NYC311 is an integral part of making City services more efficient and accountable, and I congratulate all the staff here on a job well-done.”

“Over the past 10 years the story of NYC311 has really been the story of New Yorkers – both the New Yorkers who use it every day for things affecting their lives and the New Yorkers at 311 always ready to help and deliver the best customer care anywhere in the world,” said NYC311 Executive Director Morrisroe. “I am proud to be part of the NYC311 team and on behalf of all the men and women at 311 who consider it a privilege to help tens of thousands of their neighbors every day, I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg for his vision in creating 311 and his consistent support and enhancement of it to better serve New Yorkers.”

NYC311: By the Numbers

To date, NYC311 has received more than 158 million total calls since inception, 85 percent of which were answered in 30 seconds or less. The average speed of answer for all calls has been 22 seconds, with the average 311 call lasting 218 seconds or 3.6 minutes.

Visits to 311Online, launched in 2009, total nearly 7 million and more than 300,000 text sessions have been supported since 2011.

More people have used NYC311 in the last 10 years than attended every single home game of every New York pro sports team – and the U.S. Open – during those 10 years put together.

Top 10 Calls to NYC311: 2003-2012

Top 10 Calls to NYC311 by Agency: 2003-2012

Most Service Requests Filed with NYC311 by Borough: 2003-2012

311Online Annual Growth: 2009-2012

NYC311 During Hurricane Sandy

• ·         Overall, NYC311 received 1.3 million calls during the seven-day period from October 29 to November 4, 2012, an average of approximately 190,000 calls daily.

• ·         Calls to NYC311 during the storm were four times greater than the 2012 daily average of approximately 50,000, peaking as high as 274,000 in one day.