The citizens of North Charleston, S.C. asked for more connectivity to city government, and the City of North Charleston delivered with the launch of Citibot in July 2017. Utilizing Citibot, an interactive customer service solution, citizens can text a local number (843-806-0204) to report issues or answer a city-related query, and the city can respond in real time to usher a solution. Citibot is the tool for citizens and their governments to use for communication and civic change.
“We are proud to be the first city in the country to use this interactive technology for city customer service,” said Ryan Johnson, North Charleston Public Information Officer. “It’s been remarkable to see how it has streamlined our reporting and resolutions.”
After six months in use, initial data shows that the City of North Charleston has improved citizen engagement and work order results, citing:
- 94 percent increase in citizen engagement
- 112 percent more efficient in fixing issues like broken street lights
- Fixed 195 percent more street lights and traffic lights
- Repaired or replaced 114 percent more trash cans
- Filled 76 percent more potholes
- Fixed 114 percent more street signs
“Citibot is so grateful for the City of North Charleston for believing in us and our cutting edge technology,” said Bratton Riley, Citibot Co-Founder and CEO. “This was a true local partnership – between city and local business – that has propelled our company into the national market with customers around the country.”
With Citibot, the barrier to entry is low – there is no app to download, no program to learn and no website to search to use Citibot effectively. Citizens can report issues, search a website, and receive notifications straight from their mobile device, while governments have the opportunity to provide immediate customer service.
“It is only through collaboration with our great citizens that we can truly make the City of North Charleston a better place,” said North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey. “We want to take the opportunity to say ‘thank you’ and to encourage our citizens to continue using Citibot as the powerful resource it is to connect us.”
Citibot will soon release version 2.0 for the citizens of North Charleston, which will be more conversational and help resolve even more city issues.
For more information, please visit www.citibot.io and www.northcharleston.org/citibot