Taichung's '1999' service hotline: An improved, more efficient channel to the city government

Words and photos by Taichung City Government
Translated by Ann Lee

"I would like to find out more about new events hosted by Taichung City Government. What number should I dial?"

"The traffic signs are not working properly on TaichungGang Road! I wonder who should I speak to about that?"

In the past, when Taichung residents sought city government information, or wanted to file a complaint, they usually did so by calling the Taichung City Government, and had the operator transfer them through various extensions until they reached someone to talk to. Sometimes, they would also search online for such information in what could be a time-consuming process that often was not convenient or efficient.

In order to create an effective channel between city residents and authorities, the Taichung City Government has recently launched the "1999" service hotline that provides citizens with an immediate, convenient way to communicate their problems, questions or other concerns to the appropriate people.

'1999': A comprehensive, long-term service residents
According to Mayor Jason Hu, Taichung City is a democratic metropolis that not only lets its citizens make decisions and speak their minds, but also sees the government making improvements based on advice they get from local residents. This input is a powerful, long-term motivation toward creating resourceful government. Establishing the "1999" Taichung City Resident Service Hotline is the city government's way of hearing the individual voices of the people and, more importantly, allows local residents to express their opinions via a single phone call. This in turn helps the government do a better job of serving the people. The mayor stressed that all the suggestions and complaints made to the city government were valued comments and would not be ignored, as various city city departments made efforts to follow up on input and did what they could to improve the city, thus offering a more personal and comprehensive service.

All you need to know about living in, enjoying Taichung
The "1999" Taichung City Resident Service Hotline was launched on July 1 and, in its initial phase, has 10 operators providing 24-hour service, all year long. The 1999 service includes city government inquiries, submission of complaints, outsourcing services and questions about events. It also enables you to find out about the latest city government services, or report a traffic/road situation that needs to be dealt with, such as broken traffic signals. As long as you are within the city, simply dial "1999" on your telephone or mobile phone, and speak directly to an operator for assistance.

In addition, the "1999" Taichung City Resident Service Hotline also focuses on offering good customer service to businesses, and represents the importance of making life more convenient for city residents via a personal service that benefits all. Through comprehensive training and the use of other abundant city resources, operators are equipped with professional skills to respond to questions from callers. In order to care for the needs of the disabled, the hotline will also be hiring a handicapped operator to assist with related issues. The handicapped will also be given a priority during the future hiring of operators.