myDurham311 smart service launches from Pickering to Beaverton to Clarington
Published January 20, 2023 at 2:47 pm
Durham Region residents can now connect with Durham Region by calling 311 for easy access to regional services like waste and recycling, water and sewer.
Launching 311 is part of the broader myDurham 311 initiative, a transformational project aimed at improving the customer experience at the Region.
Phase 2 of the myDurham 311 Smart Home Device Service Voice Service was launched last fall, just in time for the municipal election. The latest phase was designed to help customers access information and frequently asked questions about the 2022 municipal elections through smart home devices.
The myDurham 311 voice service is available through the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa Marketplace. If using Google just say, “Hey Google, talk to myDurham 311″ or if using Alexa, enable the service in the Alexa app settings and then say “Alexa, open myDurham 311.”
Developed in partnership with Qwhery, Phase 1 launched in late 2021, making Durham the first regional municipality in Canada to bring regional services to smart home devices. It’s a tool designed to help customers access information, and frequently asked questions, through those smart devices.
Now information on regional services is available through mobile phones and landlines simply by dialling 311.
With 311, you don’t need to know the specific department or employee you want to reach. With just three numbers you can talk with a customer service representative who can either answer your question right away or connect you to the right person who can. If you’re calling for information about your city, town, or township, you will be transferred over seamlessly.
Durham Region handles more than 700,000 customer calls a year, connecting callers with services offered by 28 different business units.
The myDurham 311 Voice Service highlights how Durham Region is focused on improving the customer experience through an ‘omnichannel approach.’ It’s a co-ordinated system that will help ensure services are accessible via a variety of methods, including in-person, web, emails, phone calls, social media, and more.
The project helped Durham become a finalist for a TECHNATION Ingenious Award last year, which recognizes Canadian technology talent and initiatives designed to improve performance, introduce new services, solve programs and grow businesses using technology.
Durham Region was also named one of the top seven global Intelligent Communities of 2022 by the Intelligent Community Forum, in part because of the myDurham 311 service. Durham Region was joined on the list by Fredericton, New Brunswick as well cities from Australia, Brazil, Taiwan and Vietnam.
New Taipei City in Taiwan took top honours in the competition last October.
