Item - 2025.SE7.1

The Executive Director, Customer Experience recommends that:

1. The Service Excellence Committee receive this report for information.

The Customer Experience Division, through 311, provides access to non-emergency City services, programs, and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 311 offers assistance in over 180 languages over the phone, and online through self-service options using the City’s website and the 311 mobile app, and through email specifically for general inquiries or requests for information. This report responds to Council direction to provide an overview of trending issues received by 311 on an annual basis.

In 2024, Customer Experience Division continued to provide timely, supportive, and effective customer service. Customer Experience Division received 1.29 million interactions, comprising mostly of general inquiries (62 percent) and service requests (32 percent), with fewer requests for status updates on existing service requests (6 percent). Notably, Customer Experience Division saw a shift towards more online interactions, with increased visits to the City’s 311 website, as well as additional use of the live chat feature, and the 311 mobile app. Most individuals interact with 311 over the phone, and in 2024, Customer Experience Division answered 82 percent of calls within 75 seconds, exceeding established service level standards. Customer Experience Division also demonstrated its ability to respond to events that created a surge in inquiries, increasing staff resources to assist with calls related to the summer rainstorm event and the rollout of the Vacant Home Tax. For these events, Customer Experience Division also updated the pre-recorded introductory message received when calling 311 to provide key information and set expectations regarding call response times.

Customer Experience Division continues to track top service requests received by 311 for all Wards and integrated service divisions, (Solid Waste Management Services, Transportation Services, Toronto Water, Municipal Licensing and Standards, including Toronto Animal Services, and Urban Forestry within the Environment, Climate, and Forestry Division), with more information available below and in Appendix A: 311 Toronto Key Metrics Report 2024 or its text only counterpart, Appendix B.

In 2024, Customer Experience Division continued to strengthen partnerships and make several enhancements to track and support the resolution of key issues. This included the introduction of new service requests related to noise and excessive heat, among others. Customer Experience Division also collaborated with several City Divisions, the Toronto Police Service, and Toronto Community Crisis Service to renew the Make the Right Call Campaign to help build public awareness on when to call 911 versus other non-emergency services.

Customer Experience Division also continues to advance several improvement initiatives, including service integration with Parks, Forestry and Recreation, making customer experience improvements to the digital channels, rolling out a streamlined complaints and compliments process, and improving the updates provided to customers about the status of their service requests.

There is no financial impact from the adoption of the recommendation in this report. The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact statement.