Last Friday, I had the opportunity to make my annual pilgrimage to the Montgomery County Probate Office to renew our car tags. I know it is cliché around here to criticize local government agencies, but seriously, I don’t know if I have ever seen such an inefficient and ridiculous process in my life.
I waited in line for over an hour to complete a task that literally took ninety seconds. I presented the lady with our registration documents, she gave me a total, I filled out a check, she handed me new stickers and paperwork and I was on my way. Simple enough – except for the 70 minute wait to get that point.
I am no expert on process improvement, but I do have a few suggestions. First of all, they should reconfigure the way the lines move. When you walk into the building, you can literally sense the frustration of the people already in line. The only brief respite from the tension is when the line moves and its occupants actually feel like they are making progress. You can literally hear people sigh with relief. Currently, there is just one long, wide snaking line so it is possible for people to move to the counter and out without the line moving at all – or at least very little. Though it would be purely psychological, I think it would relieve a little of the tension if the line was setup differently so that people moved more frequently. At least then it would not feel like such complete gridlock.
Secondly (and this might sound lame), they need a television – or two. I am dead serious about this. The ONLY thing of interest hanging on their wall is a clock – not a good thing to be fixated on when you already feel like you have been trapped for an eternity. “A watched pot never boils,” and all that… The Air Force base here in town has a TV tuned to the news so that you at least have something to divert your attention while you wait in line for your base pass. It makes an enormous difference to have that simple distraction. Again, this does not make things any more efficient; it just helps keep the frustration and suicidal thoughts at bay! 
Finally, they need multiple lines. I would estimate that two thirds of the people in line were doing the same thing I was – renewing their car tags. The hold up was the other third that was doing more complex things like transferring the car from Texas to Alabama without having any documentation that showed the car even existed. There were five ladies working the counters the day I was there. They should have had three of them working renewals and only renewals. The other two would handle all the new registrations and special situations. If they did that, I am almost positive that they could have had the majority of us in and out in minutes.
Again, I don’t profess to be an authority on any of this. I’m just a guy with a low tolerance for wasted time and I wasted quite a bit Friday morning. However, I do believe that these minor changes would speed things up drastically AND help make the process a little more tolerable. Just my two cents.
This is all you have to complain about? Clearly my bad attitude hasn’t rubbed off on you yet.
For starters, how about that you were there in the first place? It’s 2006! You shouldn’t even have to step foot out of your house to renew your tags! At least up here in Autauga County we can renew by mail. Was that not an option for you? I just mailed in my renewals and can think of only three things about the experience I didn’t care for.
First, they assume that I want to keep my current plate. I have a personalized tag that they charge me an extra $50/year for (someone please explain to me why). I’d like to get a regular plate instead, but since there’s no option for that when renewing by mail I assume I’d have to visit the DMV. I’d rather eat the $50.
Second, I have to write my drivers license number down on the renewal form. Why? This strikes me as something that was added to the form 20 years ago and nobody’s had the gumption to remove it. Don’t they know who I am by now? Last year I forgot to add it and it took them over a week to return it to me for correction.
Finally, they don’t take credit cards or debit cards. Only checks (by mail), and they can’t be from out of state. The in-state check thing is extra stupid because the Check 21 act the Feds enacted almost two years ago has made it impossible to float a check.
Anyway, I just don’t understand why everything isn’t available online. I’ve got to hand it to the state of Florida (and Okaloosa County), where I last lived. Not only could the entire vehicle registration process be completed online, but one could view property values, get a fishing license and pay traffic citations online.
Drew
September 11th, 2006
You’re right. I could have renewed by mail – IF I would have even received the renewal cards. Nope. Never received them. That should have been in my post. We moved (back in November) and mail is still forwarded here, yet we never received anything for either car. Every other company or agency manages to find us – but not them.
I’ve never had a vanity plate, so I have no experience with that, however, unless you have an organizational plate (ie, a college, civic group, etc) where the money goes to the organization, there’s no good reason to charge for a “standard” custom plate.
The check thing is assinine too. I did have the option to pay with my debit card, which is nice, but that is not possible by mail. And the out-of-state thing is a ridiculous holdover from the past. You’re right – there is no need for the in-state requirement.
Online renewal should be availble online as well. No excuse for that. I am sure it would save money in the long run if implemented right.
Ahh well. Very frustrating way to spend a morning.
Zack
September 11th, 2006