The city of Georgetown launched a new customer service platform, askGTX, on Feb. 24, allowing residents and visitors to ask questions, report issues and connect with city staff.

What you need to know

Residents can use askGTX to report a pothole, learn about ride-hail vouchers, request a new stop sign and more, according to its website. Services can be accessed through three platforms, including:The askGTX team expects to launch a mobile app in May and a texting feature in early summer, Customer Care Director Seth Gipson said during a Feb. 25 council workshop.

How it works

A team of nine askGTX ambassadors are prepared to answer phone calls and emails from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to a news release. Staff will assist with routing, tracking and providing feedback on reported issues.


Residents can connect with askGTX’s website 24/7, which includes a section of 230 prewritten “knowledge base” articles with answers to frequently asked questions.

Customers can rate if the article was helpful or not and report an issue on articles, Gipson said. While creating an account is not required, it allows customers to reference previous service requests and resolutions, he said.

The service has an annual budget of $1.1 million, according to the release.

The new platform is similar to 311 services in other cities, according to the release. The city soft-launched the program in November, according to Gipson’s presentation.


How we got here

City calls were previously handled by various departments, meaning residents had to navigate 34 different phone numbers to seek information or ask for assistance.

Gipson said the former setup was hard to track.

“We couldn't always tell if that feedback loop was closed with the customer or not,” Gipson said. “We also got multiple reports of the same type of question or the same type of request that would come in.”


What to expect

The mobile app is undergoing testing and will be available to Apple and Google Play users, Gipson said.

Residents can receive updates from requests via text messages, but those services will soon expand.

“Eventually, they'll be able to just text us a picture and actually report an issue via text,” Gipson said.


The “knowledge base” articles are created with the assistance of artificial intelligence, and staff is evaluating how to incorporate an AI-driven chat bot online as well, Gipson said.

One more thing

City officials are reminding residents to call 911 for emergencies and contact the customer care team for utility and other nonemergency issues.