City of St. Catharines Enhances Citizen Services with AI-Powered Chatbot
HSO partnered with the City of St. Catharines to implement an AI-powered chatbot using Microsoft Copilot Studio, improving efficiency and citizen satisfaction.
About the City of St. Catharines
The City of St. Catharines, located in Ontario’s Niagara Region, is the largest municipality in the area, with a population of over 140,000 residents. Known for its vibrant community and strategic location, the city plays a central role in regional governance and public service innovation.
City of St. Catharines: AI-Powered Citizen Service with Copilot Studio
See how the City of St. Catharines, in partnership with HSO and Microsoft Copilot Studio, launched an AI-powered chatbot to streamline inquiries, reduce staff workload, and deliver 24/7 digital support to citizens in just four weeks.
Why the City of St. Catharine's Needed a Change
When Jonathan Wright stepped into the role of Manager of Customer Service two years ago, the city was only able to answer about 60% of incoming calls. The team was overwhelmed, and many residents were hanging up before ever reaching a live agent.
To better support its growing population, the city recognized the need for a scalable solution that could efficiently manage high volumes of routine inquiries, shorten response times, enhance citizen satisfaction, and allow staff to focus on more complex or urgent requests.
The Solution: Catharine, the Citizen Chatbot
After attending an HSO-hosted webinar on Microsoft Copilot Studio, the City of St. Catharines saw an opportunity to use AI to improve the speed and quality of its citizen services.
“We came across HSO for the chatbot solution, and when we saw that, we were like—wow. My mouth actually dropped at what is was able to do.” — Jonathan Wright, Manager of Customer Service
Partnering with HSO, the city launched “Catharine,” an AI-powered chatbot built on Microsoft Copilot Studio. In just four weeks, Catharine went live on the city’s website, offering residents 24/7 support and easing the burden on frontline staff.
Catharine’s capabilities include:
Natural, conversational AI that goes beyond basic keyword searches
Real-time answers sourced directly from up-to-date content on the city’s website
Smart escalation paths for more complex or unresolved inquiries
Built-in flexibility to integrate with tools like Microsoft Teams and the city’s phone system
Results & Impact
3,500+
95%
6%
4 weeks
Catharine’s success has not only improved access and convenience for residents but has also transformed how the City of St. Catharines manages customer service. By automating routine inquiries, Catharine frees up staff to focus on complex and sensitive issues, improving overall service quality and responsiveness. This shift has allowed the city to maintain service levels without increasing full-time staff despite rising demand.
During peak demand periods, including winter storms, Catharine’s ability to handle high call volumes has proven critical in keeping response times manageable and reducing resident frustration.
“It has helped us in customer service focus on more complex situations or phone calls, because Catharine is able to answer the more general, day-to-day inquiries that residents have.”
Why HSO?
The City of St. Catharines selected HSO for its deep experience in public sector modernization, end-to-end support, and exclusive focus on the Microsoft technology stack. HSO worked closely with city staff to design and deploy a scalable chatbot solution, going live in just four weeks.
From strategy to launch, HSO was a hands-on partner at every stage, ensuring the chatbot addressed immediate service challenges and laid a solid foundation for future AI innovation within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
With Catharine successfully supporting residents online, the City of St. Catharines is now planning to extend its AI capabilities internally. Future initiatives include deploying a chatbot to assist city staff with IT support and integrating chatbot functionality into Microsoft Teams and the city’s phone system for even broader impact.
Let’s talk about how AI and Microsoft Copilot Studio can streamline operations, reduce response times, and improve citizen satisfaction.
