Media

The engineer Sultan Bin Hamdoun Al Harthy, President of the Muscat Municipality, inaugurated the municipality’s new calling center yesterday morning  with the free hotline (1111) to facilitate access to services as quickly as possible. Al Harthy cut the ribbon to announce the beginning of the new system’s operation in the presence of a number of officials, specialists, and media in keeping up with the continuing development of the municipality’s work to refine the services it offers to the public in cooperation with the telecom company (Smatel)..

Channels of communication

The calling center relies on the use of the most advanced technology to guarantee high quality and distinctive service. The calling center categorizes all calls with customers by subject, directing them to the appropriate workers to deal with their problem. Procedures taken are followed up  to complete the process, and the results of the comments or complaints are sent by fax, text messages, e-mail, or other channels of communication per customer preference.

Interactive voice

The interactive audio response (1111) for communicating via phone call, where the user can call 1111 (hotline) and choose from the following services: inquiry regarding the transaction status, listen to the procedures of some of the services, or speak with an employee qualified and trained to handle calls.

Comments and complaints

The Municipality’s electronic portal-Users can submit comments or complaints through the Muscat Municipality’s electronic portal by filling out and submitting a form online. The form will be directed to the calling center and then to the concerned department to follow up with the matter. A response is then sent to the customer via the preferred means such as a phone call, text message, or email.

Smartphones

Smartphone application – With the launch of the iMuscat service, users can send comments directly to the calling center. They can also attach pictures and information by GPS with their comments. After this, their comments will be directed to the calling center at the Muscat Municipality where necessary steps will be taken to follow up with it.

Text messages

Text messages (SMS)-Customers can receive a response from the municipality through inquiring about the status of the transaction via text message.

Fax

By fax (1111)-Customers may also choose to send a fax to 1111 to submit their complaints, comments, or suggestions, or to request information.

Electronic conversation

Chat-This means is made available to customers to communicate with calling center employees and to submit any report or inquiry about a specific status by clicking on the link that will soon be added to the Muscat Municipality website.

Work protocol at the center

The calling center’s work is carried out in several steps. First, the incoming message is received and the concerned employee in the center opens a new page in the complaints and comments software. The form is then made electronic by entering the caller’s information, details, and categorization for any directorate or department. The report is then recorded and relayed to the secondary support line (the operator) who then sends the case to the concerned body and follows up with its status. The third support line represented by the body responsible for the problem then solves it and returns a response to the second line who then calls the customer to notify them that their problem has been solved and closes their page.

Sultan Al Harthy

A qualitative step toward offering services to the population

The engineer Sultan Al Harthy, president of the Muscat Municipality, said in a press statement that the new calling center is a qualitative step toward offering services to the population of Muscat and its visitors. It takes advanced levels of participation from everyone to serve this city. He stated that the center signifies that the channels of communication between users, residents, and visitors, will be constant at all times through interactive decision making between the executive authority and the public. This is a means of encouraging participation from residents and visitors. Building high quality services in Muscat relies on speed of execution and access to the comments site. He explained that the center accepts suggestions and comments from the public which it will work to implement as quickly as possible. The center also includes a measurement of quality and document reviewer that uploads all comments and suggestions.

Sultan bin Hamdoun Al Harthy further explained in his statement that the Muscat calling center (1111) strives to cooperate with other calling centers in the municipality such as sewage, electricity, water, telecom, and tourism by listing the numbers of calling centers concerned with Muscat under the 1111 umbrella number to easily save it. The president of the Muscat Municipality also emphasized that the Muscat calling center is an active tool that relies on transparency, advanced technology, and open social channels of communication, announcing that chat rooms would open soon related to the city of Muscat and other governmental authorities concerned with services in the city.

Khalid Al Zidjali:

A choice in optimizing the quality of services

Khalid bin Dawoud Al Zidjali, Assistant General Director of Information Systems Management at the Muscat Municipality said that the municipality is working to develop work mechanisms at each stage of development in the sultanate’s “blessed renaissance” in accordance with the demands of rapid development. The Muscat calling center is among these mechanisms and is one of many options to optimizing the quality of services and a window of communication between the Muscat Municipality and the public according to the latest communication devices.