DMV Gives the Gift of Time: Additional Branches Equipped with Queuing System During the Holidays
| California Department of Motor
Vehicles Media Relations Office 2415 First Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95818 Contact: Bob Martinez, Steve Haskins, Armando Botello, Mike Miller |
December 13, 2005 |
Sacramento - Customers at most of the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices won’t have to wait as long to take care of business this holiday season, giving them more time to spend with their families, finish their shopping and enjoy other seasonal festivities. The success of the revolutionary queuing system that shortened lines and wait times for thousands of customers at DMV offices statewide, will expand to include 42 more field offices in addition to the 92 that are already equipped with it from now through the end of January, 2006.
With the highly sophisticated, computerized line-management DMV-Q system in place, customers can go into a field office, get a ticket with a number on it, and sit down until they are automatically routed to the right window to complete their transaction.
“Gov. Schwarzenegger has emphasized the importance of using technology to improve customer service,” said Business, Transportation & Housing Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak. “This new system already has provided great results by helping to cut the average wait time from nearly one hour to less than 20 minutes in some DMV offices.”
The system, very similar to Disney’s “FASTPASS” line-management method, was first introduced at a California DMV field office in 1997. It was phased in during a period of several years until it covered 92 of the state’s largest, high-volume offices. Now, every week through the end of January, additional field offices will introduce the queuing system until 134 offer the new service.
“The system also will be a great tool for managers to gauge how many people are actually waiting for service,” said DMV Chief Deputy Director Ken Miyao. “Managers will be able to monitor how long transactions take at each window, minute-by-minute, and identify the busiest periods so work schedules and personnel can be adjusted to best serve customers.”
As an additional convenience, DMV customers also can use its Web site to check a specific office and see the exact wait time at any given moment. The expansion of DMV-Q adds to a long list of high-tech customer service innovations that empower customers. Now customers can go online to make DMV appointments, calculate fees, renew their licenses and vehicle registrations, and order special interest license plates, among many other services.
The following offices will introduce the DMV-Q system by January 31:
| Auburn | Los Banos | San Luis Obispo |
| Banning | Madera | Santa Maria |
| Brawley | Merced | Santa Paula |
| Capitola | Napa | Shafter |
| Chico | Novato | Sonora |
| Clovis | Palmdale | Tracy |
| Corte Madera | Paso Robles | Tulare |
| Delano | Petaluma | Ukiah |
| Eureka | Placerville | Vacaville |
| Fairfield | Porterville | Visalia |
| Gilroy | Poway | Walnut Creek |
| Goleta | Red Bluff | Watsonville |
| Grass Valley | Reedley | Woodland |
| Hanford | Rocklin | Yuba City |
For more information on the DMV-Q
system and other programs, visit our Web site: www.dmv.ca.gov.
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