The Town of Ranchester in Wyoming recently announced their new texting service, "TextMyGov" to residents in The Sheridan Press article "Ranchester approves contract with TextMyGov."
The article highlights the town's effort to open communication with their residents by implementing TextMyGov, an interactive smart text messaging technology that residents can use to report information and ask questions to the town at their convenience via text messaging.
TextMyGov Explained
TextMyGov is an effective communication tool for local governments because it makes it easy for citizens to find information fast! It allows users to use their existing cell phone service to send a text message to their town's SMS text messaging phone number and get a quick response.
TextMyGov provides immediate assistance to citizens without sacrificing valuable staff time. It uses smart texting technology to identify keywords in text messages and sends an automatic text response, providing meaningful answers to questions. For example, if a resident sent a text message to the town's SMS number with the word "Bill Pay", they would get a link to pay their bill. Texting "Agenda" or "Meeting" will give them a list of upcoming Town meetings. Texting in the keyword "Zoning Maps" directs users to the town zoning map.
These automated SMS responses are set up with TextMyGov's expert staff and reviewed with city officials so that each municipality can customize the system to fit their needs. TextMyGov has the potential of maximizing government websites, delivering valuable information to residents.
TextMyGov goes beyond quick responses with its reporting feature. This feature allows residents to submit a report thru text messaging in just a few simple steps. Residents can report a wide range of town issues from a "Pothole," "Power Outage", "Water Break", or code violations like "Debris", or "Tall Grass". After the user starts a text thread, they will be prompted to provide additional details of the issue such as the address and can even upload a picture. Submitted reports are then sent to the appropriate department to be evaluated.
In the article, Barbara Brackeen-Kepley, Clerk Treasurer at Town of Ranchester, says:
It's a lot more interactive than a lot of (the other systems) currently being used…We've talked about this sort of thing in the past, but this is the first one that has met all our expectations…Over the years, Peter and I have sat through many demos of this type of thing…and this has been the best product we have seen.
In addition to using TextMyGov to provide on-demand assistance to citizens, Town of Ranchester is making the most out of the service by utilizing TextMyGov's mass text sender. This is a separate service that works with a 5-digit SMS short code number. This service allows agencies to set up a keyword to use for their text notification list for text alerts that citizens can opt-in to receive text message notifications.
Text alerts are a great way to inform the public of important announcements and emergencies. The town can provide relevant updates to users with the ability to notify all subscribed users at once or target messages by user location with a built-in geo location tool. For instance, the town could send out a text alert for a water break to all residents in the affected area.
Ranchester is one of many great examples of local government agencies embracing modern communication with TextMyGov. If you are looking for a communication tool for your municipality, TextMyGov is an excellent choice. Learn more at textmygov.com and request a demo to see how your agency can use it optimize your processes.
Learn More
- Visit the Town of Ranchester website
- Read the Sheridan Press article "Ranchester approves contract with TextMyGov."
- Visit the TextMyGov official website to modernize your local government.
