Help/311

CharMeck 311 Header Graphic showing call center representatives.

Meet the 311 Team

Transcript - CharMeck 311 Anniversary: Behind the Scenes

Children have been taught at a young age about 9-1-1, but have you heard about 3-1-1?

My name is Dr.  Raquishela Stewart and I run the CharMeck 311 contact center. We are under the umbrella of Housing & Neighborhood Services, which is under the direction of Shawn Heath and our Deputy Director Rebecca Hefner.

CharMeck 311 I believe is the best hidden gem of the City of Charlotte. We are the first point of contact for anyone that is doing business with the city or even some county resources

There are a variety of ways that 311can be contacted. Of course, the most familiar is our three-digit dial of  3-1-1. We do have a full seven-digit number which is 704-336-7600.

We have our newly formed app. We've had it for a little bit over a year, it’s available for apple and android and it's CLT+. What I love about it is it's available 24/7.

And then lastly anytime you go to a city website page at the bottom you'll see live chat and that is available as well 7 a.m to 7 pm.

Some heroes wear capes, Others wear headsets

I think 311 is underestimated because we are considered customer service, but we do much more than that.

During the recent pandemic we were a resource for RAMP CLT, which we know was important because that provided rental mortgage and utility assistance.

We are working on a White House initiative as it relates to the digital divide, and we are working with Queen's University making referrals for the digital navigator program. We are working with Common Wealth Charlotte as it relates to financial navigators, which provides great financial literacy resources, and then internally within 311, we have our own speakers bureau program, where we go out into the community both proactive and reactive to provide information on various resources that are available through the city and the county of Mecklenburg.

 

We are considered an essential department for the city so just to give a few examples. In January [2022] there was a snowstorm over the Martin Luther King, Jr.  weekend, which lasted I believe from Saturday all the way through Monday the actual holiday. So we opened up so that we could help navigate calls we wanted to make sure that true emergency calls were able to reach 9-1-1. So during that weekend we were able to take almost 7,000 phone calls

Other events that we have supported are the RNC, the DNC, and even All-Star weekend, so we are a true partner of all the departments within the city.

I do want to just reiterate and repeat that I think that 3-1-1 is the best-kept secret and we are here and available to serve our community.

And again we can be reached by the three-digit dial of 311, we can be reached on our app, CLT+ – I recommend that you download it – or you can reach us on the web.

We are here and we have a strong commitment to the community.

 

CharMeck 311 serves as the customer contact center providing information and services for customers in the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. CharMeck 311 is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Residents can call 3-1-1, submit service requests online or via live chat, or on the CLT+ app.

Callers to 311 may also get directory assistance to City and County offices, schedules for meetings of City and County government and information about various City and County services. Specialists trained in tax and utility issues will be on hand to assist callers. Complex calls beyond the scope of 311 and those requiring extensive research and investigation will be connected directly to the appropriate department.

All communities within Mecklenburg County that receive a service provided by the County or City of Charlotte may call 311 regarding that service or to obtain information about other City/County services.

City departments supported include Solid Waste Services, Storm Water, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Charlotte Water, Neighborhood & Business Services and Charlotte Department of Transportation.

For water services please call 3-1-1

County departments include Park and Recreation, Tax Collections & Assessment, Land Use & Environmental Services and the Sheriff’s Office.

 

 

Callers to 311 may also get directory assistance to City and County offices, schedules for meetings of City and County government, and information about various City and County services. Specialists trained in tax and utility issues will be on-hand to assist callers. Complex calls beyond the scope of 311 and those requiring extensive research and investigation will be connected directly to the relevant department.

All communities within Mecklenburg County that receive a service provided by the County or City of Charlotte, may call 311 regarding that service or to obtain information about other City/County services.

Hours of Operation

Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Residents can call 3-1-1, submit service requests online or via live chat, or on the CLT+ app.

You can access 311 outside of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County by calling 704.336.7600.

311 can be accessed via a cell phone if your cellular company carrier has programmed the 311 number to its towers. If not, you can call 704.336.7600 on your cell phone and be connected to the 311 call center.

311 Mission and Vision

Mission Statement

The Customer Service & Information Center will be a center that is responsive to the needs and desires of its citizens and employees, and exemplary in its operation, management and professionalism.  We will accomplish this mission through four areas of concentration – Customer Standards, Growth, Cross Training and Emerald.

Vision

The Customer Service & Information Center will provide exceptional leadership and skills in the area of customer service for the entire City of Charlotte.