Why the DMV won't improve

Annette had to get her driver's license renewed today. She has a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) so she can drive a school bus if needed. Well, since it's a CDL she can't just go to the Tag Agency and renew; she has to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and get everything processed there THEN she gets to go to the tag agency to get the new license.

So at the end of our day she is telling me of all that went on. She was there for 2.5 hours just waiting to get to see someone. Being a teacher she is always looking for ways to make things more efficient. I guess having to deal with snot nosed prepubescents really makes you think of ways to improve processes that speed up any kind of standing in line.

Well, she starts explaining to me how they could have had multiple receiving lines for more specific purposes instead of just one general purpose line (i.e. she wants a line for inquiries and a line for tests and a line for renewals etc.). And I remember that the Social Security office is exactly the same way. Long, general purpose line and a wait that takes way too long.

Why is this? They've been running things the same way for long enough it would make since that they come up with more efficient ways of managing their daily lines of people. And then I remember. These places don't have to improve their process. They don't have to worry about "customer service" because they don't serve customers. They handle a captive audience. People don't have a choice about standing in line. It's required by law to be there and do what you are doing (for the most part) so you can't just decide against it if they're not nice to you.

The rest of us don't have this power. We aren't working government jobs with mandated requirements. We deal with customers of some type. And if we don't please those customers then they go somewhere else. Those government bastards are lucky.

Until next time,
Les