Five years of the 115 service number in Chemnitz
1 February marks the fifth anniversary of the public authority number 115. In 2012, it was officially launched and put into operation with a symbolic call by the mayor responsible, Miko Runkel.
Chemnitz is one of over 470 municipalities in Germany where the standardised public authority number 115 is available. Federal and state authorities as well as local authorities are working together to provide citizens as customers with easy telephone access to the administration.
The memorable number is the first point of contact for administrative questions of all kinds - regardless of who is responsible for the matter. The 115 is a number for everything, the fast connection to the administration. With their service centres, the local authorities are the first point of contact for callers. Municipalities of all sizes are represented. It has been available in Chemnitz since 1 February 2012 and has been called around 190,000 times.
Citizens' enquiries are answered by telephone via 115 from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm. This is a benefit for citizens, as it means that the city administration can also be contacted outside of typical office hours. It has been shown that the telephone channel is also popular despite the Internet. By speaking to staff, questions can be answered quickly, easily and competently. Enquiries can be made at any time, so misunderstandings can be clarified immediately.
A shared knowledge database is available to the 115 service centres as a basis for information. Each 115 service centre is also able to answer frequently asked questions about any other participating local, state or federal administration. More than 65 percent of callers already receive information at the service centre without having to be connected further.
Chemnitz residents most frequently asked questions about registration and vehicle licences: What documents do I need for a new identity card? How can I apply for a special licence plate? What do I need to bring with me to re-register a vehicle? Other questions were, for example: Where can I get an extract from the land register? Where can I apply for the Federal Volunteer Service?
Complaints and tips from callers to 115 are recorded and forwarded to the relevant specialised offices for processing. These often concern defective street lighting, overgrown traffic signs or illegally dumped rubbish.
Under the motto "Information from the authorities without words", deaf and hearing-impaired citizens receive reliable information and assistance via video telephony and sign language via 115. The sign language telephone is operated by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs for the entire 115 network. The address of the sign language telephone is: 115(at)gebaerdentelefon.d115.de
Further information on 115 in Chemnitz can be found HERE or in general at www.115.de.