Customer Stories: Pendleton, Oregon
Customer
Lieden Cook is the Information Technician for the Public Works Department in the city of Pendleton, Oregon. Lieden oversees emergency and non-emergency alerts to residents, public works employees, utility workers, and others in his district.
Background
Before using Konexus in 2016, communication between his office and the city was slow and difficult due to the lack of a cohesive platform. Public Works struggled to keep citizens of Pendleton informed about city projects or disruptions to utility services.
Impact of Konexus Solution
Lieden has discovered that Konexus the perfect system for keeping both the community and the city workers informed of important information. The map selection feature of Konexus is what Lieden relies on most of the time. With a few clicks from a web browser or smartphone, Lieden can easily select an area on a map and send out notifications to residents about power outages, street sweeping, utility work, and more. “The map makes a huge difference for me, and the ability to quickly contact specific people in the city based on their location is what really sets Konexus apart,” he says. Konexus additionally gives Lieden the tools he needs to communicate with other Public Works employees about ongoing projects and responsibilities but keeping the public in the loop is what he really finds useful. Konexus makes it simple to let residents know about changing traffic conditions due to bridge work, and the multi-platform service allows Lieden to quickly send out emails, SMS, or voice messages to residents who are impacted by water shutoffs or power outages as a result of maintenance or weather-related emergencies. “Door hangers were just not working anymore. Konexus really helped us to solve that problem.” Before Konexus, Lieden and others in Public Works relied on information trickling from the top of the department down to various employees who worked under specific supervisors. After Konexus, Lieden and others in his department can send out important and relevant information to the employees who need it the most using pre-arranged groups. This feature, among others, is what makes Lieden's job that much easier. “And what I really like is the customer service,” he says. “Bottom line: every time I need help or have questions, I am never more than a phone call away. The Konexus staff is awesome.”
