Some stores treat their one millionth customer to special surprises.

So what does the one-hundred-thousandth caller to City Hall's 311 Call and Resolution Center receive?

A personal chat with the mayor.

A man who called to complain about uncollected trash learned that his inquiry had achieved the milestone Thursday afternoon for Buffalo's two-year-old non-emergency phone service.

The caller, who was identified only as Mr. Rotterman, told Mayor Byron W. Brown that he was pleased with the service he received. But the compliment also had a negative edge.

"This is one of the first times that I've called City Hall and gotten a very good response to my problem. I'm thankful for that," he said.

"We're going to try to duplicate that experience many times over," Brown assured him.

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Audio: Listen to Brown's conversation with the caller by playing the clip to the left or click here to download it.

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Since its launch in 2008, supervisors said, complaints are being resolved faster, the length of time people are kept on hold has been slashed by a third, and the number of lost calls has plummeted by 88 percent.

The city is taking additional steps to improve the 311 experience, Brown announced at an event that attracted nearly 40 city officials, neighborhood block club organizers and other community leaders. The center's new Customer Satisfaction Initiative includes random calls to constituents to ask about their experiences with the system. Satisfaction surveys will also be e-mailed to callers.

What are the most common types of complaints that flow into the center? Concerns about housing-related permits and inspections issues top the list, followed by inquiries about garbage totes. Complaints about street lights and tree-related issues are the third and fourth most common calls.

bmeyer@buffnews.comnull