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1. What is Citizen Relationship Management (CRM) software?

Citizen Relationship Management (CRM) software helps local government agencies be as responsive to citizens as possible. Citizens can still request a government service by using the phone, by fax, or in person with the added benefit of submitting their request into the CRM system via an employee or on the city website for easy tracking and guaranteed follow-up.

Compared with the way many agencies still handle citizen contacts (simple email, handwritten forms, or verbal messages), CRM is a huge leap forward in efficiency and requires no new City hardware or software. Click West U is the name for the CRM software developed by the City’s vendor, Government Outreach, Inc.

2. How will Click West U help the City?

Click West U allows City officials to better analyze needs and trends while increasing the amount of work accomplished by staff. The system includes numerous features, including automatic reports delivered to managers describing the status of citizen requests, customer satisfaction surveys, and automatic follow-up communications to citizens.

3. How will Click West U help citizens?

Click West U offers many benefits to those who live, work, or do business in the City. The system ensures that no citizen request will get lost or sit on the desk of a supervisor who not in the office.

Citizens can also track their own complaints or requests and receive updates. The system can automatically send updates on issues of interest to individual citizens and educate citizens using frequently asked questions.

4. What about citizens who don’t have computer access?

Citizens who contact the city by phone (713-668-4441), fax, or in person at 3800 University Boulevard, will have their request entered by a staff member and will be offered a choice of how they would like to be updated on the status of their request.

5. Will the city keep records of citizens who make contacts? What about privacy or confidentiality issues?

Citizens who submit a request are offered a choice of providing their contact information for tracking and follow-up or remaining anonymous. The City recognizes that some citizens or business operators may wish to provide information anonymously, and the system allows them to easily do so. Those who choose to provide their contact information are offered several communications options for tracking and follow-up.

6. Do citizens have to submit their requests in English?

Click West U allows citizens to submit their requests in a variety of languages through a built-in translation program. The system allows the city to connect with citizens in the language with which they are most comfortable.

7. Where can I get the Click West U app?

The Click West U app can be downloaded from the following locations for iPhone and Android.

8. How do I use the Click West U app?

View a brief user tutorial (PDF).

9. How does Click West U work?

A typical scenario would include a citizen needing to contact a city department for a service - this could be to report a water leak, a missing or damaged traffic sign, etc. Instead of the citizen looking up a telephone number to call the city, or stopping by a city facility in person, they can report the issue through Click West U.

Requests can be made online or through the mobile phone application. The resident will then complete a simple electronic form - they can choose to provide their name or remain anonymous. A tracking number is provided for each request. The request is then sent to the appropriate city staff person who can be dispatched to resolve the issue.

Through Click West U, city staff can track all requests, make notes of the work completed, or provide an explanation of why the work will be delayed or cannot be completed. That information is automatically sent to a citizen (if they provided email) who requested the work.

Learn more about Click West U online.