OPINION: City launches new programs to impact customer service, transparency

Opinion
Webp unnamed
City of Midland logo | midlandtexas.gov

A city is only as good as the customer service that it provides its residents.

Customer service includes – but is not limited to – the water a city delivers, the trash it picks up and the parks and quality of life experiences it offers. There is always room for improvement.

Recently, the City of Midland announced a digital platform to help improve that customer service experience when it comes to reporting non-emergency issues – items such as potholes, graffiti, large-item pickup and broken streetlights. SeeClickFix has replaced the city’s previous 311 service and provides residents a customer service upgrade. We hope you will download the SeeClickFix app or go to the website (www.midlandtexas.gov/1193/Report-an-Issue---SeeClickFix).

We want residents to engage with city government. SeeClickFix represents a 21st-century solution to help connect the city with its customers. Our hope is that you SEE it, you CLICK it, and we FIX it.

Have you asked ‘Jacky’?

With that in mind, the City of Midland also has launched Ask Jacky -- the City’s AI virtual assistant designed to provide quick and helpful responses to inquiries related to city services, events and information at midlandtexas.gov.

SeeClickFix and Ask Jacky are the first initiatives to improve what Midlanders experience from City Hall. The customer service residents deserve includes a more functional city website, and the City of Midland is currently working to improve that experience.

Get Alerts on what’s happening

Stay current on emergencies and important community news by signing up for our Emergency Alert Program – Alert Midland.

This Everbridge system allows the City of Midland to quickly provide those signed up with critical information in various situations, such as severe weather, infrastructure disruptions, unexpected road closures, missing persons and building or neighborhood evacuations. It is expected that the reverse 911 system will be able to alert residents down the specific neighborhood or street.

Those signed up (www.midlandtexas.gov/64/Emergency-Alert) will receive time-sensitive messages through preferred channels, including home, mobile, or business phones, email, text messages and more.

City raising the bar for transparency in Midland

The City of Midland has and will continue to provide more initiatives that help our residents learn more about what is taking place inside their City and across their community. Plans include:

  • Showcasing City of Midland webpages where residents can see online presentations provided to the Midland City Council during meetings;
  • Providing PowerPoints about the upcoming budget process and giving taxpayers more information than ever before about how the City of Midland is spending YOUR money;
  • Improving website and social media to make the City of Midland your one-stop shop for all media and relevant community events taking place in Midland.
  • Providing communication with Spanish-language content that will allow more residents the opportunity to know what is taking place in their community.
The City of Midland has long set the standard in our community for transparency. Residents can go online before every meeting and see the exact same information packet that council members receive. Now, your City is ready to up its game when it comes to responsiveness and providing even more information.

It is an exciting time to be in Midland. The City of Midland recognizes this and wants its residents to expect more. Our residents, after all, are our customers, and they deserve the best service possible.