By Nyesha Stone
There is literally an app for everything, including the City of Milwaukee. (Photo Courtesy of City of Milwaukee Unified Call Center)
Chief Information Officer of the City of Milwaukee Nancy Olson and Ann-Elizabeth Shapera, Call Center Operations Manager of the City of Milwaukee are happy with the success of their MKE mobile app. The app launched in September of 2014 and according to the ladies, things have been getting fixed in Milwaukee.
MKE Mobile is like “having the city in your pocket,” said Shapera. Whenever you have an issue within the city of Milwaukee you can use the MKE Mobile app. Once you open the app, you click “File New Report” and follow the steps to compete the form.
This app isn’t the only way to tell the city your problems and concerns. You can go to their online website or dial 286-CITY to talk with a call center representative.
The call center receives 1,500-2,000 calls a day.
The call center’s number, 286-CITY, is a 24/7 service. Each shift has around six to eight call representatives ready to handle the city’s problems. The representatives “know it all,” said Shapera. She says the representatives know all of the city’s regulations and the right departments to direct the requests to.
If you need to need a one-night overnight parking permit, you can call this number and one of the representatives will handle it for you.
Olson said it’s not the citizens concern to know which city department deals with what. MKE mobile has a system that directs each request to the right department, so the citizen doesn’t need to worry about that.
If you have a problem with potholes on your block that can be reported on MKE Mobile. The Department of Public Works is in charge of handling the pothole epidemic, but Olson doesn’t believe those types of things are important for the public to know. The app keeps the citizens and departments connected without the citizen knowing who did what. Each request leaves you with a confirmation number that can be used to track the progress of your request.
MKE Mobile directs the request to the department, and then it’s up to the departments to answer those requests.
From the thinking table to the final product, MKE Mobile was created within a few months. You can attach pictures to your request and add the location of the problem in the file report.
People use the app on a regular basis, said Shapera.
There are a multitude of things that can be reported on the app. If someone’s parked illegally, a citizen can report it on MKE Mobile. The call services change seasonally.
Olson and Shapera don’t plan on updating the app. MKE Mobile is simple to use and convenient for the user, said the women, so they’re content with what they have.
“It’s all in the app,” said Shapera.