Recently, the 12345 hotline has unexpectedly become the focus of public opinion due to several news reports - according to media reports such as the Sichuan Daily WeChat public account, a certain place has held multiple concerts in recent days. In just ten days, the local 12345 hotline received nearly 50,000 related complaints, more than 80% of which were related to stage arrangements. Some time ago, a piece of news that "the moon was too bright affected sleep, and citizens called 12345 to complain" also made many netizens dumbfounded. Looking at the two things together, it is inevitable that people will want to ask: What does 12345 do?
The full name of the 12345 hotline is the government service convenience hotline. To put it bluntly, it is a comprehensive service window provided by government departments for the masses. In life, street lights are broken, manhole covers are broken, construction disturbs people, and consumer disputes are left unattended... The value of the 12345 hotline lies in helping the masses solve the problems of "there is something really wrong, but they don't know who to call." For this reason, the work of the 12345 hotline is not just as simple as answering a phone call. After a request enters the system, it often has to go through acceptance, classification, transfer, processing, verification, reply, etc., and sometimes requires coordination by multiple departments. Behind every work order means the real investment of manpower, time and resources by the administrative department.
Since it is a public resource, the use of the 12345 hotline cannot be without boundaries. It must be emphasized that not all things that make people dissatisfied and uncomfortable should be handed over to the government for resolution; some personal demands are not of a public nature even if they are expressed frequently and strongly enough. Behind some "weird" calls is the caller's lack of understanding of the boundaries of public services. The reason why public services must respect boundaries is that public resources are ultimately limited. If a request that is clearly beyond the scope of public administration enters the government system, it will increase unnecessary efforts and costs for all parties. If a large number of repeated and invalid appeals are poured in, not only the call time will be occupied, but the resources of the entire acceptance and processing chain will be occupied.
The time and energy of relevant departments could have been used to deal with problems that really need to be solved, such as water leakage in old communities and hidden road safety hazards. The answering capacity of the 12345 hotline has an upper limit, and the energy of grassroots staff cannot withstand such consumption. If public resources are used on matters that do not require the intervention of government departments, those who are ultimately affected may be those who are truly urgent or difficult.
Not only do public services have boundaries, there are also boundaries for individuals to express their demands. Everyone has the right to express opinions and safeguard their own rights and interests, but you must find the right person to express your opinions and choose the appropriate channel to protect your rights and interests. As for events in the news, consumers can express their opinions on the performance content and stage arrangements to the organizers and ticketing platforms. Only when the problem involves government responsibilities, public interests, or the legitimate rights and interests of citizens is infringed, is it really necessary for the government service hotline to intervene.
To make the 12345 hotline work better, government departments must dare to say "no" to unreasonable demands and focus limited resources where they are really needed, rather than using "satisfaction rates" to please everyone. For the masses, before calling the hotline, you might as well ask yourself two questions: Does this matter fall within the scope of government responsibilities and can you ask the administrative department to help solve it? Does my appeal involve legal rights and public interests, or is it just based on personal preferences, aesthetic differences and temporary emotions? In the final analysis, rights and obligations are equal, and when enjoying public services, we must also cherish public resources.
The 12345 hotline is not a "wishing fountain", nor is it a vent for emotions. It is a public help channel to solve practical problems. When one day we encounter something urgent or difficult, after dialing, we will definitely hope that there is someone on the other end of the phone who listens carefully, instead of a bunch of ridiculous work orders occupying the line all the time.
Author: Xiao Jieyu
"Worker Daily" (Page 05, September 9, 2026)
