Greensboro residents who spot a pothole, a problem with a sidewalk, an issue at a city park or a missed trash pickup now have a new way to get the city’s attention – and they can do it without making a phone call.

The City of Greensboro has launched GSO Assist, a new 24-hour online customer service portal and mobile app designed to let residents, business owners and visitors report problems, request city services and find information.

The new service, which just went live, is available through GSOAssist.com and through mobile apps for Apple and Android devices.

The city’s Communications and Marketing Department administers the system, which uses the Salesforce platform.

Unlike Greensboro’s traditional Contact Center, GSO Assist is available around the clock. Requests submitted through the system will be routed to the appropriate city department, although city employees will generally review and process them during regular business hours.

How fast a problem gets fixed will depend on the type of request.

The app and website can be used to report a variety of issues involving city-maintained property and services – including streets, sidewalks, stormwater, parks and recreation facilities, public buildings, solid waste and recycling.

It also has an “Ask Me” feature that uses AI to help people get quick answers. The assistant performed very well when the Rhino Times asked it questions such as, “How can I pay my water bill?” However, it fell short on some others.

For instance, when asked what the winning Powerball numbers for Wednesday night’s $900 million drawing would be, the assistant responded with the unhelpful, “I’m sorry, but that information is unavailable.”

It also did not know the answer when asked the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.

Residents who create an account can also follow the progress of their requests and see requests submitted by other users.

For many types of requests, however, users don’t have to create an account and can submit the information anonymously.

The new system is intended to supplement rather than replace Greensboro’s longtime Contact Center.

The Contact Center has been operating since 2004 and offers multilingual assistance to people seeking information or city services.

If residents want information the old timey way, they can still call the city at 336-373-CITY, or 336-373-2489, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on weekdays.

GSO Assist also takes over the service-request portion of GSO Collects, the mobile app operated by the city’s Solid Waste and Recycling Department.

City officials describe GSO Assist as a way to make getting help from Greensboro government easier by providing one location for a wide range of non-emergency requests.

So, if the garbage didn’t get picked up, the sidewalk needs attention or something at a city park needs fixing, Greensboro residents now have one more option: pull out a phone and tell City Hall about it.

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