Ford on Ford: Customer Service Double-Talk

30 July 2010

Having failed to kill the popular Toronto 311 service before its launch, Rob Ford then moved unsuccessfully to gut its effectiveness, calling for the elimination of 21 new staff needed to help callers.

Rob Ford loves to talk about the importance of answering phone calls and improving customer service at City Hall.  The problem is Rob won’t put any money where his mouth is. In fact, his record shows he’s part of the problem when it comes to making customer service a priority at City Hall.

FACT: At a special meeting of Toronto City Council on December 10, 2008, Rob Ford moved a motion “amending the Capital Budget and 2009-2013 Capital Plan for the 3-1-1 Customer Services Strategy by eliminating the 3-1-1 Call Centre, with $9.236 million allocated in 2009, and a total cost of $13.970 million.” 

Only two other councillors supported Rob Ford’s proposed cut to this service. 

FACT: At the March 31, 2009 meeting of Council, Rob Ford was at it again moving: “That the 2009 Operating Budget for the 311 Customer Service Strategy be reduced by eliminating 21 new positions, for a savings of $1,194,000.”

Again Rob Ford`s motion was defeated with 37 councillors voting to maintain this important service.

A published report this morning indicates that in June, 311 operators answered 5,000 calls per day, up from 3,300 in May with the number of e-mails taking a similar jump.

Rob Ford has made billions and billions of promises on subways alone and hundreds of millions more in revenue reductions without saying what services he will cut to pay for those promises.  A safe bet is that the popular Toronto 311 service will be among the first on his chopping block, again.

It’s clear Rob Ford won’t debate his plan because he doesn’t have one.

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