The Contra Costa Times published an article today in their East Bay chain of papers on Comcate‘s recent deal we inked with the City of Pleasant Hill. I’m quoted a few times:
“When we worked with cities at staff level, people were using Post-It notes or they didn’t know that a colleague in Public Works was doing duplicate work,” recalled Casnocha, a junior at University High School in San Francisco. “We learned first-hand about the range of sophistication when it comes to dealing with citizen complaints.”
Aside from being used as an organization and processing tool, by taking cues from the private retail sector, local governments like Pleasant Hill are now using such tools to enhance the quality of services they provide to residents — the people they have now come to view as customers.
“I do see a trend in cites that are trying to modernize and streamline, and still keep that personal touch,” Casnocha said. “How can we use technology to deliver service in a more efficient manner?”
“We’re trying to transform government from what a cynic would call a bureaucratic dinosaur to an entity that is dynamic, responsive,” he continued. “The local level is where services are delivered every day, that’s where customers can see real changes taking place.”