We got a total of 3902 feedback messages last year – thank you for each one!

Feedback that we received via feedback.vaasa.fi was diverse: 1201 (30%) were suggestions for action, 1851 messages (47%) were complaints, 451 (12%) were questions, and the rest were general comments, compliments, or unspecified feedback. The median processing time for feedback was about 3 days, meaning feedback was responded to one day faster than in 2022.

Since the beginning of this year, feedback can also be submitted in English through the feedback service.

Feedback on urban environment: streets and public transport

– The number feedback entries addressed to the urban environment decreased by over a hundred messages from the previous year. This is likely due mostly to improvements we have made to clearing the streets from snow and Lifti, says Markku Järvelä, the director of the urban environment department.

Reports of faults and malfunctions are important because they help locate and repair faults in a timely manner.

Reports of vandalism in areas managed by the city can also be sent to vandalism@vaasa.fi.

– Curbing vandalism and smudging of walls would be beneficial because it consumes resources that could be used to improve services and urban areas, Järvelä remarks.

The conditions for walking and cycling are constantly being improved to create consistent and safe routes for everyone. The Fiksusti Kouluun project, aiming to create smart and sustainable travelling to school, assesses the current state of school environments and implements corrective measures.

– Regarding winter maintenance, we have tendered for a high priority for main pedestrian and cycling routes, thereby improving the quality of winter maintenance. Future cost-saving measures the city is forced to take will of course limit our possibilities to continue to improve the quality of winter maintenance, which directly affects residents, says Järvelä.

Several improvements have been made to Lifti operations based on resident feedback, and more and more people choose to travel by Lifti. The most significant changes have been made on lines 7, 12, 5, and 8.

Feedback on educational services: libraries and sports services

Libraries receive feedback on their online services and the selection of literature and other material. In sports services, feedback mainly concerns the maintenance of sports facilities, which is managed by the urban environment’s municipal engineering. Suggestions for new sports facilities and equipment are also common.

Cultural services receive inquiries about events and courses at the institutes. Feedback on basic education, general upper secondary education, and early childhood education mostly comes through Wilma.

– Feedback is always handled on a case-by-case basis in various groups, such as management teams, with staff, at parent meetings, or in student welfare. New material and equipment is purchased within the resources we have, says Christina Knookala, director of education.

Corporate administration gets feedback on websites and administrative services

In corporate administration, communication (36 messages), citizen services (18 messages), and welfare services (13 messages) received the most feedback.

– Especially the feedback on websites has decreased by almost 50 % since last year. In 2022, many still searched for social and health services on the city’s websites, but last year, an increasing number found what they were looking for on the Ostrobothnia Welfare Area’s websites, summarises Jari Karjalainen, director of corporate administration.

Feedback on citizen services primarily concerns the functionality of the feedback system itself. Welfare services receives proposals on how to improve the well-being of residents. The personnel service area, in turn, receives feedback mostly related to summer jobs.

– Feedback helps us understand what information Vaasa residents need more of, especially on our website. This feedback is directed to the departments in charge of the relevant information. The feedback system itself is also continuously developed to make it easier to use and ensure that feedback is directed to the right place immediately, says Karjalainen.

Positive feedback makes everyone happy

A total of 138 compliments were received through the feedback system last year. Compliments were particularly received for floral arrangements, sports facilities, Lifti, cycle paths, and clearing the streets from snow.

– Appreciation surely delights both the giver and the recipient. Compliments also tell us where we’ve succeeded, what to continue, and what has made Vaasa residents happy, says Karjalainen.

Here are excerpts from some of the compliments received:

”Lovely that you’ve brought a winter swimming area to Vaasa for everyone! Safe and clean. As a tourist, it was great to splash around. 🙂 Thanks a lot for the fantastic experience; as a long-time winter swimmer, I haven’t come across anything like it in many cities!”

”Thousands of thanks to the snowplowers on the Teeriniemi-Haapaniemi-Old Vaasa route! Early every morning, well-ploughed roads. :)”

”For the second week now, the bike path on the Alskatintie-Vöyrinkatu-Einari Uusikylänpolku-Kalastajankatu-Meijerikatu-Kokkolantie-Tammikaivontie route has been in incredibly good condition, so cycling on it is smooth and enjoyable, just like on summer asphalt. Hopefully, the weather stays this good, so the situation remains the same. That is truly a first-rate quality path <3”

”Thanks for the really great bike garage at the railway station! I’ll now continue to bike to the train in the future, whereas before the choice was a taxi/car. It felt safe to leave my bike for several days.  The garage was also really easy to use and functional.”

”The new bus routes better serve shift workers, as buses run early in the morning and late at night, as well as on weekends. Before, I couldn’t use buses for commuting to work because they ran so poorly. Hopefully, the routes to Huutoniemi will also remain functional in the future.”

”After many years, I hopped on a bus. The schedule and the right bus were easily found online; the timetable service had advanced light years. The bus was on time and the driver friendly, even though we didn’t share a common language. Thanks also for contactless payment! So, I can easily hop on the bus again next time.”

”Vaasa’s floral arrangements have been exceptionally beautiful this year! Bold colour combinations and plant varieties rarely seen in urban plantings make this green thumb rejoice. Thanks also for the booklet listing the various varieties of plantings – a brilliant source of inspiration for home gardeners!”

”Thanks for the fantastic customer service at Variska library!”

”The multi-purpose sports field, Vaskiluoto, and ice track from the Inner Harbour to Suvilahti are in fantastic condition. Thanks!”