On National 311 Day, Mayor Scott Gillingham is highlighting a major turnaround in City customer service, with average 311 wait times dropping by 89% since 2022.
In 2022, Winnipeggers waited an average of 11 minutes and 22 seconds to reach 311. By 2025, that average had fallen to just 1 minute and 15 seconds.
Improving 311 response times to below three minutes was one of Gillingham’s commitments during the 2022 election campaign, as part of a broader push to improve customer service at City Hall.
The City achieved the improvement by increasing funding for 311 operations and expanding frontline staffing.
“When I ran for office, I heard clearly from residents that waiting on hold for 311 was frustrating,” said Gillingham. “City Council made a commitment to improve that service, and these results show real progress. I want to thank our 311 frontline staff for the work they do every day to help residents and keep the system running.”
The City has also introduced new tools to help residents get answers and access services more easily, including a 311 chatbot and the recently launched MyAccount citizen portal, which gives residents a more convenient self-serve option for accessing City services.
Building on the success of the 311 improvements, the City is now applying a similar strategy at the Water and Waste Utility Billing Centre by adding frontline staff to reduce wait times and improve service there as well.
“Good customer service matters,” said Gillingham. “Whether someone is calling 311 or the Utility Billing Centre, residents deserve a City that responds faster and serves them better.”