I needed to get a Real ID, which in North Carolina facilitates airline travel and other identity verifications. My wife suggested I go to one particular DMV that was a LONG way away from home, but where she had experienced great customer service. I was lucky to find an appointment online and decided to go that route instead of showing up and hoping for the best at some other office.
When I pulled into the parking lot, there was only one space available. When I walked in, I was confused. The waiting area was nearly full, and immediately to my right there was a police officer who was doing some kind of administrative task with some of the customers. I waited for a second wondering if he was working with the DMV. It turns out that he was with the Highway Patrol, a group that shared the space with the DMV, and many (or most) of the people there were waiting to talk with the law enforcement staff.
So, I went around the corner to the other side of the waiting room, and the DMV office was there. An employee immediately walked by and said “somebody will be with you shortly.” A few seconds later, a gentleman walked up and asked me for my appointment number or my phone number to confirm the appointment. Still standing, he tapped a few buttons on his computer screen, printed out a number for me, and told me to wait in one of the seats in the lobby. He twice said somebody would be calling me “very soon” to one of the numbered windows, and he pointed behind him at the windows.
After sitting for less than 10 seconds, they called my number and asked me to go to Window #5. The lady confirmed why I was there and asked me for my identification documents. She told me when and why to sign the keypad multiple times. She then told me to put my back against the wall and look straight at the camera to have my picture taken for the ID.
She said “look to your left at the screen, and you’ll see the photo.” And there I was in all of my closed-eyes glory. She apologized for taking the picture too quickly, and she took it again. I told her I was going to be going on a trip and asked if she thought I would get the Real ID before then, and she said she hoped so, but – just in case – she instructed me to bring certain documents with me to the airport.
From the moment I walked into the DMV to the moment I pulled out of the parking lot, it was less than 8 minutes.
Negative reputations which many businesses (like the DMV) have are often well-deserved. But great processes, communications, instructions, attitudes, and systems, can slowly turn the reputation around – at least for certain locations.
If the DMV can deliver a great customer experience, we can all deliver a great customer experience.
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