7 Reasons Government Offices Need to Use Scheduling Software
Government offices exist in large part to deliver services to tax-paying citizens. Unfortunately, a high volume of customers, a staff of overworked employees, and systems built on outdated technology all lend to the overall ineffectiveness of government services. Instead of timely operations that meet the various needs of their citizens, government agencies are often crowded, chaotic workplaces filled with frustrated individuals.
How many citizens dread waiting in line at the DMV? Even worse are the citizens who fall through the cracks in the aftermath of natural disasters, unable to ever receive the help they need. Government agencies are overrun with questions and demands. Anyone who’s ever waited in line at a government office has witnessed firsthand the flood of citizens who need help and the subsequent exasperation of employees bombarded with questions without a moment to breath, day in and day out.
However, the high volume of citizens isn’t the problem. More often than not, government agencies themselves are struggling to assist the people in their community. It’s not a lack of motivation or a desire to make their services more difficult to attain. Instead, many government agencies simply don’t have the resources they need to provide their services in a timely, effective manner. Budgetary issues, problems with under-staffing, and ineffective communication across departments all contribute to the problematic government offices every citizen experiences at one time or another.
Thankfully, scheduling software can provide a solution to the chaotic environment found in government offices. An online appointment booking and queue management system like the one found at QLess is a convenient tool that eliminates long lines, crowded waiting rooms, and unhappy customers, with little to no effort from government employees. With effective scheduling software, government offices can transform their services. Streamlined processes, effective time management, instantaneous communication with visitors–these and more benefits of scheduling software can change the way that government offices interact with their citizens.
Increased Organization
When citizens arrive at government offices, they often leave with one common complaint–a lack of organization within the agency. Citizens enter a crowded workplace and wait in lines for hours on end, with very little communication until they arrive at the desk of a government employee. Many times citizens will reach their face-to-face meeting, only to be told that they don’t have the necessary paperwork to complete the task they came to accomplish. Citizens expect high-quality services out of their government offices, which doesn’t include long lines and ineffective communication.
With scheduling software, government offices can increase the organization of their services and reduce the time that citizens wait in line. By switching to a technology-based system, government offices allow customers to join a virtual queue and wait for their appointment time, no matter where they are. They’ll receive real-time updates regarding their appointment status and can easily communicate with government employees, should they have questions regarding their appointment. Scheduling software allows citizens to spend less time in line and simultaneously increases the organization of government offices by streamlining scheduling processes.
Improved Staff Productivity
Most government agencies experience issues with effective time management among their employees. Due to budgetary constraints, most offices are under-staffed. Employees are already forced to work in overdrive to meet the demands of taxpaying customers. However, a lack of organization means that employees aren’t being used to their full potential. Scheduling software can help.
With an online appointment system, employees no longer have to waste their valuable time organizing their own schedules. Instead, all appointments are made through an online system. Employees receive real-time updates regarding cancellations or no-shows, and any gaps in their schedule are automatically filled. With scheduling software, employees can focus on their jobs, leaving all the behind-the-scenes organizing to the cloud-based system.
Streamlined Communication
When citizens arrive at government offices, it’s often the first contact they have with government employees. They have no idea about potential wait times or any paperwork they might need to complete their appointment. In addition, employees also receive no information about their customers. If a citizen fails to show up for their appointment, employees are left in the dark, wondering if they should move to the next customer or wait for the citizen to arrive. Scheduling software streamlines communication between citizens and employees, allowing both staff and customers full transparency regarding wait times, appointment slots, and appointment processes.
Using a cloud-based system, citizens can schedule an appointment, no matter where they are. In addition, they can join virtual queues, receive real-time updates about estimated wait times, and request more time before their appointment, if needed. Citizens can communicate through text messages, voice calls, and QLess kiosks at their appointment location. Interactive mobile queuing available with scheduling software allows seamless communication between employees and citizens, eliminating the various misunderstandings that often occur within government agencies.
Demonstrated Respect
When citizens arrive at government agencies, they want to feel respected and valued. After all, they’re taxpaying members of the population. Citizens want to know that their tax dollars are being put to good use, so they expect prompt service and high-quality assistance. Long lines communicate the opposite of respect. In fact, many customers grow increasingly frustrated waiting for their appointment slot, as they feel that their time is not being valued.
By eliminating the need to wait in physical lines, scheduling software demonstrates respect for all citizens. Instead of forcing them to take off work and waste valuable time sitting in a crowded waiting room, scheduling software acknowledges that the customer’s time is important. It allows citizens to take charge of their own schedule and arrive at their appointment only when they can be helped, rather than wasting valuable hours waiting for a free employee. When citizens feel that they are being respected, they’re much more likely to respect employees, improving the overall mood within government agencies tremendously.
Updated Information
Many government agencies want to improve their office processes. Unfortunately, the chaotic work environment barely lends itself to effective day-to-day operations, much less improved functionality of the office as a whole. Scheduling software solves both problems. Not only does it allow government offices to run more effectively almost immediately, it also provides feedback on what can be improved over time.
While scheduling software improves office processes, it also gathers information on citizen behavior and service metrics. Reports deliver valuable data on walkaways, no-shows, and other user metrics. Staff productivity and efficiency are also monitored. In addition, customers can provide their own feedback through surveys within the system. The various data collected allows managers to identify key areas for improvement. Scheduling software offers immediate improvement to government offices, but it also allows managers to create lasting change with their agencies over time.
Saved Costs
Scheduling software changes the individual experience within a government office for both employees and citizens. However, it also offers a cost-saving method of improvement that aligns with budgetary constraints. Since interactive mobile queuing uses web-based software, agencies never have to worry about frustrating hardware, updates, or installations. The software saves time and ensures your office continually runs smoothly, but it also cuts back on pricey IT-related costs.
In addition, the simple implementation of scheduling software can cut down on costs within a government office. A lack of organization and low productivity often lead to higher expenses for the company as a whole, with very little results to balance out the costs. By streamlining communication, increasing productivity, and effectively allocating resources, interactive mobile queuing systems ensure that the government budget is used effectively, saving costs for the agency in the long-term.
Improved Public Perception
It should come as no surprise that government offices rank fairly low in terms of positive public perception. Most citizens can easily list off various complaints with government services, and the archaic processes and outdated technology used within most offices are of no help. Government agencies feel the pressure to improve their services, if only to increase citizen satisfaction rates.
With scheduling software, government offices can easily improve their public perception. Not only does scheduling software effortlessly improve office processes, it also allows citizens to feel valued and respect. When everyone at your office leaves satisfied with their service, they’ll spread the word to friends and colleagues. Consistent positive experiences will change the stigma of the crowded, unorganized government office. Over time, public perception of government offices will improve, relieving the crushing pressure most agencies feel to improve their efficiency.
The QLess award-winning queuing and scheduling technology can bring all the benefits of scheduling software to your government agency. Our software identifies the pain points within your business and solves your problems, with little to no effort on your end. Improved organization, saved costs, higher customer satisfaction–you can find all of it and more with our QLess system. If you’d like to see how our QLess solution works for you, please request a demo today.