The voice on the other end of PDX 311

What day is trash day? The storm blew a tree down on my street. I’m worried about my elderly neighbor. How do I pay this parking ticket? My bike got stolen. Who ya gonna call? PDX 311. Portlanders have a lot of questions. Folks like Tiffany Carlson are there to help. Tiffany and her team answer 311 calls from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, excluding federal holidays.

What does your workday look like at PDX 311? I take about 50 calls on a typical day and answer emails in between. Some days I also work the front desk at the Portland Building.

What type of calls do you handle? Some people have questions, like, “How do I get a parking permit for my neighborhood?” Others want to report an issue, such as tents on the sidewalk or vehicles where someone appears to be living—they ask us to check in on those individuals. We also help people in need. For example, we frequently talk to unhoused individuals looking for shelter and connect them with outreach workers. And then there are the callers who start with, “I don’t know if I’m calling the right number, but…” — and in my mind, I always think, This is the right number! Because when you’re not sure where to start, we’re a great place to begin.

What does it take to be successful in your job? A desire to help people is very important. Our entire team honestly wants to do the best job we can to help our callers. Problem-solving is also an important skill. We're not always going to know the answer, but we help our callers with the puzzle and connect them with the right resource. Sometimes we get people who called three or four places and keep getting the runaround. Our goal is to connect them with the right person they need to be connected to. If I can, I’ll make the phone call for the caller, just so they don’t go on a wild goose chase and they can get on with their day.

Do you get calls from people who are upset? How do you deal with that? Active listening is an important skill. Some folks just want to be heard. I let them know that I hear them and I understand why they feel how they do. Empathy is important, too. But I also need to stay a little emotionally disconnected because I can’t feel everything all the time. Sometimes you just need a minute after a difficult call. We have great leadership team that supports us taking care of ourselves.  

What about callers who aren't comfortable in English? We have several call takers who speak Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Romanian and Tagalog. We can easily get a translator for any one of about 50 languages or dialects

What’s the difference between 911, 311, and 211? 911 is for emergencies. 311 is for government services. And 211 is for community and social services, like food or shelter or basic needs or finding childcare.  If you’re not sure which one to call, 311 can help with that, too — give us a call!

What do you like to do when you’re not working? I enjoy musical theater, both watching it and performing in it. I sing, and I have three kids who also are very into performing arts. This keeps us very busy! I was in a performance of Something Rotten a couple months ago in Sherwood, Oregon, and our whole family has performed in Northwest Dance Theater's Nutcracker Tea here in Portland.

What’s your favorite part of Portland? I love downtown, I love the bridges. I like walking across them. The Hawthorne is probably my favorite. But I also love walking across the Tilikum. I love standing in the middle of the bridge and just looking out both ways in the water. It's just so beautiful. We live in such a beautiful place.

PDX 311 is your government connection. Ask a question, report an issue, or request assistance. Our lines are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Call 3-1-1 or email 311@portlandoregon.gov