311 wait times increased in Winnipeg last year: report
Wait times for 311 calls in Winnipeg were a lot higher than normal last year.
A new report says the average wait time in 2021 was “unusually high” at 11 minutes, 42 seconds. It’s higher when compared to average times between 2017 and 2020, which ranged between two minutes, 56 seconds and seven minutes, 36 seconds.
The report attributes the spike to calls becoming more complex, an increase in new staff, and the need to deal with more emails and social media interactions, which requires employees to shift focus from the phone.
It says solutions to cut the long waits are in the works including eliminating the email address option in line with other cities, prioritizing online forms for high request items, upgrading training to speed up hiring, and the creation of an online dashboard so people can see current wait and talk times.
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