Man calls UAE's emergency hotline to recite poetry

Sharjah - Employees are trained to deal with non-emergency calls as well as serious complaints.

Sharjah residents can always dial 993 in case of any 'emergency'. So, one man called the hotline to recite his poems, while another caller complained about his runaway goat and sheep that he had intended to slaughter for Eid.
During the first half of this year, the Sharjah Municipality received 55,873 calls on the hotline number, according to an official. Some of the callers raised peculiar enquiries while a few others just needed someone to talk, said Abdullah Al Buraimi, head of the call centre.
The municipality is determined to address issues faced by the public, he said.
"Despite being non-emergency cases, the call centre team has dealt with the calls in a professional manner and ensured customer satisfaction."
Atef Al Zarouni, director of suburb municipal departments at the Sharjah Municipality, said 18 per cent of the calls received were regarding applications; 67 per cent for other enquiries; and 15 per cent for emergency communications.
"Employees are trained to deal with non-emergency calls as well as serious complaints," he said.  "However, residents are urged to use the hotline only for serious calls to keep the line free for others in emergencies."
The call centre operates 24/7, including holidays, and is one of the main communication channels of the Sharjah Municipality with its customers.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Sharjah