October 25, 2006
I had a good experience at the BMV: Customer Service on the Web
Last weekend I noticed that the temporary tags on my new (to me) VW were going to expire Tuesday. I quickly went into the house to check the mailbox to see if my new title had arrived yet. It had not. So Monday morning, with one day to spare, I hopped online to find out what steps I would need to take to register my car without this important document.
Envisioning a series of errands involving the seller, notaries, and visits to various offices, I was happy to learn that the process was actually quite simple and that all of the information I needed was on the BMV site.
First off, I was relieved to learn that if I didn't have my original title, I could request a new one at any Title office for $6. I could do this by printing off a form that required my data and the title number. But how could I fill out the title number without the title? The site explained this as well. If I typed my VIN number into their title search page I could find my title information. So I did, and there it was and I wrote it down on the form.
With the big question answered I now knew that my quest would involve getting an e-check, going to the title bureau, then going to the registration bureau. So next I needed to check to see if any new offices had opened up closer to work, what the hours were, and what this quest might cost. As expected, the nearest e-check was on E. 55th and the test was now free. There was a title bureau downtown, but if I went to Golden Gate I could find a title bureau and registration office in one location. The title bureau was only open from 9:00 - 4:30 so I arranged to take the afternoon off and go to the Golden Gate location. This had the added benefit of being near Half-Price books.
Those of you in town will recall that Monday brought us our first snowfall. Because of this there was almost no line at the E-check and I was quickly on my way. At the title bureau I was only third in line. I gave the clerk my form and asked her if she needed anything else to prove ownership, and she said, "no, you put everything on the form, so you're all set." Once my title printed out, I walked down to the next office where I also had a short wait. Here I presented the clerk with my temporary registration, my title, my e-check certificate, and the registration for my former car (so I could re-use my old plates). I asked her if she needed anything else, and she said, no I had brought everything she needed and all I had to was sign here and give her $4.50.
With my new registration in hand I was now able to fill up a basket at the bookstore, buy some vittles at Heinens, and put the plates on the car before sunset.
Service for the customer
The reason my afternoon of errands went so smoothly was because the BMV site provided me with the information I needed to fulfill my mission. This included:
- Procedures and other instructions
- Prices and fees
- Records and other data
- Office hours
- Locations and directions
- FAQs
- and other cool stuff that I didn't happen to need that day
Most of us will find that our sites can provide a similar level of service. By offering FAQs, forms, location, hours and other basic information we can better inform our visitors. While most of us our busy focusing on the big goal, it's important to remember that these little details can make a big impact.
Time-savings for you
If you spend any amount of time answering phone and e-mail requests for information about Y, form D-13, directions to your office, or instructions on how to accomplish Z, you may be able to save yourself some time by adding this information to your Web site. Users who go to the site will find the information themselves—assuming your site is well-organized—and those who call or write you can be directed to the information online. While some questions can quickly be answered over the phone, others are more intricate. I've found that while it may take me a bit of time to write the instructions for Q, I only need to write them once. From then on when someone asks I can just send them to the appropriate page, and they can get back to work on their project.
I saw similar results at the BMV offices. The clerks had to spend more time with other customers, explaining procedures, filling out forms, and calming their frustrations. They were able to process me more quickly, and with a smile, because I had come prepared with everything I was supposed to bring. I won, and so did they. If you can find the time to provide this sort of information on your site, you'll find that in the long run it will save time and frustration not only for your visitors, but for you as well.
P.S. It's great to see all of the new blogs popping up this semester. While there are many that are sure to prove interesting, I want to mention the Blog of the Law School Career Services Office which was just created in August. They've been using the blog to offer career advice, share information and announce events, and it looks like it is becoming quite a handy resource for law students. If you are blogging for a department you may want to give their site a visit, I think you'll get some good ideas.
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Posted by: Heidi Cool October 25, 2006 12:34 PM | Category: Content , Heidi's Entries , Tips and Tricks
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Posted by: hac4 (Heidi Cool) October 25, 2006 12:34 PM | Comments (3) | Trackback
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Comments
Wow! It's rare to hear someone praising the BMV for customer service.
Indeed. They usually get slammed so much that I felt it warranted comment.
I think this is where we (the British) need to look to how you guys manage this kind of thing.
For driver license and vehicle registration, we have the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and MOT (Ministry of Transport) who deal with the condition of the vehicles on the road.
Neither of which have any involvement with eye tests.
Figure that one out...