Long Civil Service Calls Down 33%... Songpa District's Automatic Call Termination System Shows Clear Results

One Month After Introducing the "Automatic Call Termination System":
Long-Duration Civil Complaints Down by 33%
Guidance Provided After 10 Minutes, Call Ends at 15 Minutes...
The System Also Handles Abusive Calls

"This call may be terminated to ensure efficient civil service phone consultations due to the extended call duration."

When this announcement played, caller A was surprised and asked, "Have I already been on the phone for 10 minutes?" Having already resolved their issue, A apologized, saying, "I didn't mean to take up so much time and interfere with your work," and then ended the call.

On May 29, Songpa District in Seoul (District Mayor Seo Gangseok) announced that its "Automatic Call Termination System for Long Calls" had reduced the number of long-duration calls by more than 33% within just one month of implementation.

This system was introduced in April to reduce administrative inefficiency and emotional labor caused by lengthy phone calls. When a civil service call exceeds 10 minutes, the system automatically plays a voice announcement and, if necessary, allows the staff member to end the call.

Specifically, after 10 minutes, the system plays the above announcement automatically. After 15 minutes, the staff member may end the call, using the following message: "We have provided sufficient explanations regarding your concerns. As other citizens' requests are being delayed, we will now end this call. Please note that repeated calls or intentionally prolonged conversations violate Article 5 of the Civil Complaints Handling Act."

Quantitative improvements are clear after one month of implementation. From April 28 to May 27, the number of civil service calls exceeding 10 minutes decreased by 21%, from about 1,900 to about 1,500 cases. Calls exceeding 15 minutes dropped by 45%, from about 550 to about 300 cases.

This system is also used to handle abusive or sexually harassing calls. However, the warning and termination messages differ in such cases.

Warning message: If you continue to verbally abuse the civil servant, you may be subject to punishment under relevant laws.

Termination message: You are continuing to use abusive language. Verbal abuse toward a civil servant on duty may result in punishment under relevant laws. This call will now be terminated.

The system reduces the psychological burden on staff by handling announcements and call termination without requiring the staff member to hang up directly. Civil servants reported, "When there is verbal abuse or swearing, the system responds instead, which has greatly reduced emotional exhaustion," and "The burden of deciding to end the call has lessened, and many callers now end the call themselves after the system announcement."

Starting in June, the district will also introduce a new "Automatic Caller ID Conversion App" to protect the personal information of civil servants. This measure is in response to the increase in calls between staff and residents outside the office due to expanded welfare and on-site services. When a civil servant contacts a resident from their personal mobile phone while working outside the office, the recipient will see the district office's main number. This is expected to protect both the privacy of civil servants and the stability of civil service response.

Seo Gangseok, Mayor of Songpa District, stated, "Malicious complaints can infringe upon the rights of other residents," and added, "We will continue to create an environment where both civil servants and citizens are respected, and carry on with 'servant administration' by providing better civil service and administrative quality."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.