KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville’s 311 Center for Service Innovation will add a Spanish-language option for its online chatbot on Thursday, National 211 Day.
Starting Thursday morning, when users start a chat, they will be asked “What is your preferred language?” and can choose between English and Spanish to navigate the bot through frequently asked questions about COVID-19 and other social services.
Spanish Version: 311 Center for Service Innovation en Knoxville agregará opción en español en su chat virtual
The chatbot was launched in March 2020 to provide basic information about the U.S. Census and, soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chatbot also links users to TN211.org if they are looking for community resources like assistance with rent, housing, and utilities.
Chatbot programmers worked with partners including the City’s Business Liaison Patricia Robledo, Knox County Health Department’s Lilliana Burbano, and staff at Centro Hispano to ensure the Spanish-language translations are accurate and accessible to our community’s Spanish speakers.
The chatbot is available on the home page of the City’s website and KnoxvilleTN.gov/Chatbot.
Users can message East Tennessee 211’s Facebook page to start a chat, or, when using a mobile phone, by texting the words “help” or “hello” to 865-419-4211.
The chatbot is available 24 hours a day, making it accessible when 311/211 representatives are unavailable after office hours or due to an increase in the volume of calls.
For information about the chatbot, the City’s Center for Service Innovation, and its 311 and 211 operations visit KnoxvilleTN.gov/311.
