For most citizens, taking a trip to the DMV to renew their drivers’ license isn’t something they relish. It’s a time-consuming, painful process. With everyone standing around and no-one seeming to know what queue they’re supposed to be in – it’s not fun.
Download the Guide:How Queue Management and Appointment Scheduling are Transforming Citizen Experiences at DMVs across the US
When people arrive they might not have all the documentation they need, only to discover this when they get to the front of the wrong line and are told to go to a different line or, worse, told to leave and come back with the relevant documentation.
The result is frustration for citizens and a lousy customer experience that reflects negatively on DMV offices and their staff.
But it doesn’t have to be like this. Citizen experiences are improving
Citizens visiting a smart DMV when renewing their license are in for a new experience, and it starts before citizens arrive at your branch…
Imagine if renewing their driver’s license was so easy for citizens that they could join the queue from anywhere, get a virtual ticket, and enjoy a coffee or do some shopping while they wait. Imagine if real-time text notifications could update them on their place in the queue.
Inside the DMV of the future, agents armed with tablets match citizens with the services they require: verifying their documents, assigning them tickets, and helping every citizen figure out the steps involved in accessing services.
It’s not just something you have to imagine
For DVM offices that have engaged ACF Technologies this is not just a vision of future: it’s reality, today.
Here’s how a citizen describes their recent experience at a DMV using ACF’s Citizen Experience Management system, Q-Flow:
“I recently got my license. It was a pleasant experience even though I had to take a driving test, a written test, a vision test and there were 40 people there. I was in and out with my licence in hand in about 45 minutes.”
Workflow technology to help improve citizen (and employee) experiences
When ACF says that their combination of software, hardware and workflow technology is helping to improve citizen experiences at every touch point, they aren’t kidding.
Why is that so important for government officials managing DMV offices and people within government who are focused on service delivery and procurement? Quite simply, helping citizens connect with city, state and local government in a way that means citizens get good communication and service completely changes their perception of an experience, and of the DMV.
DMVs using intelligent systems are improving citizen experience, as well as their own employees’ experience. Where citizens used to vent their frustrations on employees, meaning it wasn’t much fun for them to work in a hostile environment either, systems like Q-Flow are changing that, too.
What else can the system do?
“When other smaller DMVs ask us, ‘Can your solution accommodate small / simple workflows?’ the answer is yes, it’s easy for us,” says Carlos Lopez, Software Development Manager at ACF.
Carlos has been involved in building the ACF Q-flow system for many years. He has designed projects that allow receptionists to move around the office, or even outside the office. He says they wanted receptionists to be able, “To go to the line, ask the customers what they want and need, hand them a ticket so they don’t need to wait in line – they can go have breakfast or coffee, and they’re already ticketed in the system.”
Going green: no more paper to process
In other cases, it’s actually even possible to avoid tickets entirely. Instead of handing a ticket to a customer, ACF’s Q-flow technology allows customer-facing employees to ask for a phone number and send SMS messaging. This green initiative also means there is no more paper to process.
But if offices choose to stick with the paper-based approach it’s possible to use a reception console to put that information in the system. Then, Carlos says, “They have a mobile printer, not connected to a computer. It’s on a belt or a strap. They can interact with the target (person), print a ticket and hand that to the customer.” The greeter will either hand out a ticket or use virtual ticket.
“It’s simple, very easy, and is having a big impact on them,” says Carlos proudly. “That’s working pretty well for them and opening other opportunities for us”.
Now, going to the DMV is a completely different experience – one that citizens no longer need to dread
This simple, but very powerful, solution is already in use in government offices and healthcare facilities around the country. It is improving the experience for customers, and helping government workers do what they should be doing: delivering a much-needed service to citizens. In fact, ACF has even put workflows in place behind the scenes to help prevent fraud.
But that’s another story…
