Southampton Town opens call center

New for 2012,  Southampton Town has started a new Citizen Response Center for its residents.

A frequent complaint of residents calling town government is the relay from one extension to the next before getting a person who can help, Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst said. The call and visiting center, which is off the main foyer in Town Hall and has three employees, corrals calls from the public and directs them to the right places.

The mission, said Debra Keller, who moved from the town supervisor’s office to the new call center, is to make sure residents get a “real person” to guide them.

Staff at the call center is trained to answer simple yet often-asked questions, such as how to apply for a building permit or when leaves will be picked up, freeing those departments from the burden of having to answer those questions, Throne-Holst said.

Residents can reach the call center directly by dialing the main number: 631-283-6000.