Offering Multiple Forms of Communication

Most inspectors have a small window, 1-2 hours, in which they can be contacted. Almost all city offices are using archaic approach to communication. The telephone is the primary mode of communication and practically the only mode. Inspectors mobile numbers are not provided to residents although they are usually in the field. When you track down an e-mail address or figure it out, you are responded to via phone. The City of Milwaukee needs to design new methods of communication, including mobile phones, web e-mail forms, e-mail addresses, e-mail on mobile phones, internal instant messenger to increase intra-organizational communication, etc. There is decades of communication technology research and organizational communication research that supports these multiple methods of communication. See Daft and Lengel, Media Richness, 1986, and corresponding research.