Reset Rating: A- (13 out of 15)

Reset Rating: A- (13 out of 15)

By: Katie Short

Link: http://www.sf311.org/index.aspx?page=104

You’re joining other San Franciscans and their dogs at Stern Grove one Sunday for some live jazz and wine. As you shuffle through the crowd you realize that a completely usable part of the Grove is consumed by a series of fallen Eucalyptus branches. What do you do? SF311.org has created an online reporting process for you to report fallen branches, trees, etc both in parks, the City…and parklets.

A quick note:
This review will be reminiscent of the sidewalk pothole reporting review done previously. Many of the 311 online services are presented on the website using the same form, and those forms are accessed in similar ways. The Reset Ratings are intended to be reviews of all of the online services provided by the city, but these particular processes will become repetitive over time, and as a result, we will limit the reviews of services that use this particular form structure to a handful.

Accessibility: 2.5 out of 3

The path by which the service is accessed is clear and easy to find.

Yet although there is a Google Translate feature on the pages leading up to the form, the feature is not available for the form (the form is in English only). You will need to call one of the 311 customer service numbers listed at the base of each page and complete the service over the phone if you need it in another language.

Ease of Use: 3 out of 3

The process by which this form is accessed and completed remains as intuitive as the pothole form.

Design: 2.5 of 3

The design of the pages is clean and meaningful, though I can’t help but comment, again, on the elementary icons dotting the 311 page. The formatting of the pages does not change in the process, minus the pop-out window with the reporting form. The only suggestion would be to configure the site so the form is not a pop-out.

The Guide: 2.5 out of 3

In the 311 navigation bar, not the SFgov universal navigation bar, there is a mouse-over, drop-down menu entitled “Contact Us.” From that menu, if you select “General FAQs,” it will take you to a page with some general trouble-shooting guidance for using the site, though no specific instructions for this particular service.

There are also phone numbers listed at the base of the pages prior to the form, which you can call with questions about the process. But again, once you’re on the phone, you might as well file the report over the phone, not online.

User Feedback: 2.5 out of 3

At the base of the Parks page, there’s a link, “Provide feedback on our new self service features” where you can leave comments and complaints, though it is not publically displayed.

Trim that tree! How do I report park maintenance and where can I find the website?

From sf311.org, choose “Parks.” From the “San Francisco City Parks” page, select “Urban Forestry,” and choose “Park Tree Maintenance” from the list at the bottom of the page. A pop-up window will then appear for you to enter the relevant information to report the problem.

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