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Residents will still use the same channels as before to report faults or log service requests with the City, be it online, via SMS, or by phoning.

However, what has changed, is that the City has added three additional status updates. Meaning, from now on, there will be up to five updates to residents to keep them informed of what the City is doing to attend to their request or a fault.

Residents will be updated via SMS or email, depending on the method of communication they have selected. Importantly, the resident will only receive a SMS or email if a communication method has been selected while logging the service request.

The status of the service request will also be available for viewing online, on the City’s Report a Fault portal.

Herewith are the five status updates:

• Created: the resident will receive a message that their service request has been created, and this will be accompanied by a reference number, ten digits long, starting off with a ‘9’;
• Registered: shortly thereafter, the resident will receive a message that their service request has been registered, indicating that a notification has been registered with the relevant service department;
• Assigned: Once the service request has been assigned to the appropriate service team to attend to, the resident will receive a third update informing them that it has been assigned to a team;
• In progress: The resident will receive this message once the relevant unit is working on the fault or service request; and
• Closed: The resident will be informed once the task has been completed and the work is done; and that the service request has been closed.

Some service requests may not prompt all of the above status updates, such as faults or requests related to roads and stormwater. However, the majority of requests logged with the City will indeed go with five updates from the moment it has been registered until it has been completed or finalised.

‘These improvements are at the heart of the City’s commitment to being a transparent, responsive, and caring administration. With regular feedback, residents will be empowered and more at peace, knowing their complaint or service request is receiving attention from dedicated teams on the ground. Regular communication is pivotal in fostering a relationship of trust with residents who can rest assured we are doing all we can to keep on delivering services,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Sharon Cottle.

The City has done all it can to ensure the enhancements are implemented in a smooth manner and have made arrangements to deal with any teething problems, which may be experienced during the first month of implementation.

‘We remain committed to continued system enhancements to further improve residents’ experience and will inform the public as additional enhancements come online. This is a very exciting time for the City. I want to assure residents of our ongoing commitment and dedication on meeting the high standards and expectations they have for us,’ said Councillor Cottle.

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