Knoxville is throwing a party for their 311 service and everyone's invited. March 11 isn't just another day in Knoxville—it's officially 311 Day! The city is rallying its residents to come out and give props to a phone number. Knoxville's 311, a lifeline for local service requests since May 2005, not only makes life easier for thousands but it's also a national champ in the call center league, snagging the top spot in the country last year for the third time, according to a press release from the city.
If you have a problem, you dial 311—or 865-215-4311 for certain mobile users—to quickly connect with a rep who's ready to listen and log your complaint, turning it into a 'to-do' for the relevant city department. Knoxville's got this down to a science, dealing with everything from dirty lots to missed trash pickups, and residents seem to love it. The same press release touted a whopping 99 percent approval rating from survey respondents, with folks eager to recommend the service to their neighbors.
The big five include grimy lots, bulky item pickup, municipal court inquiries, skipped garbage collections, and whatever drama comes with those trash carts. Last year, Knoxville's 311 operators took charge of over 40,000 service requests and talked through problems with customers over 180,000 times.
Nature's curveballs have also put 311 to the test. When a biting cold snap froze Knoxville and dropped 10 inches of snow this past January. Teaming up with the Emergency Operations Center, these city heroes kept the lines open to aid residents through a winter whiteout—fielding a mountain of calls that peaked at 1,700 in just one day. They were a lifeline for those in need, like dialysis patients trying to figure out how to safely get to treatment, as highlighted in the city's statement.
