Many Koreans are using New York City's 311 as a quick source of help and information. The hotline – a citywide governmental service for non-emergency situations that provides information on city's governmental agencies, 1,300 nonprofit organizations and welfare services – offers its services in Korean, making it a central point of inquiry for questions or complaints.
Koreans call or complain about pretty much the same things as the rest of the population using the service. According to 311 statistics, noise complaints top the list of complaints made to the Korean-language hotline, and for all calls to 311 (2,098,288 or 2.1 percent of all calls). The top 10 types of calls include: noise complaints; landlord/maintenance issues; locating a missing or towed vehicle; heat (lack of heat); to schedule a Plan Examiner appointment; to apply for food-stamps; for assistance with parking violations/tickets; to locate a police precinct or police service area; for mediation between landlord and tenant; for information on the courts; and for alternate side parking information and status.
"Since its launch in March 2003, 311 has handled more than 100 million calls with 87 percent of calls answered in 30 seconds or less, and an average answer speed of 15 seconds – exceeding call center industry standards," stated Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press release on May 10. Overall, the top complaint is noise, with 2,098,288 calls, or 2.1 percent of all complaints.
According to Mayor Bloomberg, "311 has truly revolutionized how New Yorkers communicate with their government."
The number of Koreans using 311 has jumped every year. In 2004, 178 of a total of 3,751 calls were made by Koreans. In 2009, that number was 22 times higher, reaching 3,751 calls.
"The 311 hotline service has been playing an important role in developing the quality of life for New Yorkers," observed the Mayor. "The number of 311 users is constantly increasing, so we will put more effort into providing efficient service," he said.
The 311 hotline provides information on NYC's governmental agencies, 1,300 non-profit organizations, and welfare services, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. If a Korean interpreter is needed, say "Korean" when prompted, and the service will be provided.
