“Thank You for calling 311. My name is Donovan. How may I help you today?”

That’s how Donovan Nesbeth-Lauderdale begins the 12,000 calls he will take this year, in his job as a 311 call center representative.

Nesbeth-Lauderdale is one of 300 New Yorkers who work in the 24/7 operation that is the New York City 311 Call Center in Lower Manhattan, NYC311.

311 was established in 2003 by the Bloomberg administration as a simple way for residents to ask a question, file a complaint, or make a request for service.

“A lot of calls are for basic status information. They want to know what their sanitation schedule is. If alternate side parking is suspended — that’s always a big one. Sometimes they are calling to check up on their parking tickets,” said Joseph Morrisroe, deputy commissioner of NYC311.

These days, 311 is more than just a phone number — it’s also a website and mobile app. New Yorkers can text to 311, plus get answers on social media. It’s now part of the City’s Office of Technology and Innovation.

“We are going to continue to explore how we can use technology both to simplify the operation and provide higher quality responses to the people who call,” said Matthew Fraser, the city’s chief technology officer.

These call center representatives, or CCRs as they are known, have to know a little bit of everything. They have reported to work through transit strikes, hurricanes and pandemics, handling hundreds of thousands of calls during difficult times for New Yorkers.

Call center manager Sherone Lewis is one of a group of nearly 30 employees who have been at 311 since the beginning. Over the years, they have received questions like “Who won American Idol?” And concerns like “a raccoon is eating lasagna on my porch.” And someone who wanted to report a ghost in their window.

Lewis remembered one occasion when Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s mom called 311 looking for her son.

“I called the mayor’s senior staff. I spoke to an employee over there. Once I told her who was on the phone, she giggled a little. She told us to transfer her over,” said Lewis.

Just one of the more than 359 million calls answered at 311 since it all started, with many more to come.