Cloud computing and 311 solutions free government agencies to handle citizen complaints with better, faster results. And with their age-old reputation for long lines and red tape, who's complaining?

Find out how government organizations are taking advantage of Salesforce Mobile Tools in an upcoming webinar, where industry innovators, Anthony Grieco, Senior Director Customer Service, NJ Transit, Dan Ault, Management Analyst for the city of Elgin, Illinois, and Dan Burton, SVP Government Transformation for salesforce.com, share their breakthroughs about using cloud tools to better serve the American public.

Here are seven reasons why every government contact center should live in the cloud:

 1. Get your problem heard.

After creating their Government Contact Center to track NJ Transit’s 250 million customers and thousands of annual calls, Anthony Grieco says NJT was able to process nearly eight times the number of cases compared to previous levels, without adding any new staff.

 2. Find time to grab a bite before the whistle.

Now that NJ Transit maintains a separate Twitter feed for each of its rail and bus service lines, passengers are automatically notified of timetable changes and delays in service in real time—and during Hurricane Sandy, the number of followers doubled.

3. Enjoy a consistently pleasant ride.

Using a custom mobile app, undercover Transit workers rate every aspect of their experience, including announcements, how pleasant the staff behave, and the level of cleanliness in the trains.

“By addressing issues in advance you can create an even better experience for customers,” explains Grieco. Not only do you get them where they want to go—you can exceed their expectations.

4. Buy your tickets on the fly

With a new mobile app, NJ Transit riders can now purchase their tickets from their smartphones instead of waiting in line.

5. Avoid major snowdrifts on the way to work

The City of Elgin, Illinois--population 108,000--uses Rapid Response 311 at its call center to manage snow cleanups by locating severely heavy hit areas across the city.

"We are able to respond to complaints, questions or concerns in a much more timely fashion," says Dan Ault, who helped implement the system.

6. Find out how to take out the trash

When the city of Elgin wants to inform the public about changes in basic services, they don’t rely on snail mail; they inform through social channels.

To communicate a change in how residents should pack their trash, the city put up a video on youtube.com.

7) Get your power back on quicker

If a tree goes down in Elgin and knocks out a power line, residents can use a simple form on a smart phone and send a geo-located photo back to local government.

Because of cloud platforms and mobile applications, government agencies like these are changing how they conduct business. To find out more about how these innovative leaders are using mobile platforms, sign up for the Connected Nation webinar here.