Who Says You Can’t Have Great Customer Service in Government?

When most people think about government customer service, they conjure up images of long lines at the DMV and miles of bureaucratic red tape. The difficult, time-consuming, and confusing process of navigating government bureaucracy is often made worse by overworked staff members who aren’t very helpful.

But it doesn’t need to be that way. QLess provides queue management solutions that can help automate processes, minimize wait times, and streamline staff communication for maximum efficiency. Imaging a world where customer service and government office are synonymous.

Here, we’ll cover a few ways that customer service in government organizations can benefit from the QLess system.

1. Eliminate Frustrating Wait Times

Let’s face it, the most frustrating aspect of government customer service is the waiting. If you’ve ever spent an afternoon at the DMV or tried to find the proper form to fill out for a permit you understand the frustration of waiting and waiting and more waiting. At many government offices you have to take a number and wait some more.

What’s worse, is that many times you’ll spend hours filling out forms and waiting in lines only to find that you’ve filled out the wrong forms and waited in the wrong lines. Then you have to start all over again.

QLess uses appointment scheduling and management technology to help your organization overcome the issues that alienate your customers–long wait times, confusing paperwork, and lack of communication.

Our system puts power in the hands of citizens by allowing them to schedule appointments, join a virtual queue, and take part in bi-directional communication with staff members.

2. Reduce Frustration for Everyone

Long wait times aren’t just frustrating for citizens, they’re also frustrating for staff. After all, civil servants want to provide citizens with service and help them out, not manage lines. The QLess system helps eliminate confusion and wait times to give staff the time they need to provide better service.

When lobbies and waiting rooms are less crowded, staff is better able to complete their tasks, answer questions, and provide better government customer service.

3. Provide Interactive Updates

Many times, citizens who are waiting simply want to know that they are correctly moving through the process. With the QLess system, citizens waiting in line are given detailed updates and communication about their wait. Staff can communicate with those waiting in line via their mobile device.

These updates help to control citizen’s expectations and minimize frustration simply by knowing they’re being taken care of. What’s more, they know when their appointment is and can also request more wait time, request status updates, and even leave the line if they need to.

4. Customize Your Messaging

You can control the messaging you send to citizens waiting through the Command Center. This feature allows you to control access and communication. You can customize voice messages and SMS messages by department, transaction, and more. This allows your staff to select the appropriate, pre-approved message to send to citizens that are scheduling appointments, looking for paperwork, and much more.

5. Improve Staff Productivity

One of the biggest complaints about customer service in government organizations is that staff members aren’t available to answer questions or provide service–a lot of that is because governmental staff is overwhelmed by managing traffic and answering simple questions. The QLess interactive system gives your staff the tools they need to schedule appointments, manage lines, and create a more balanced flow of people throughout the day. In fact, research shows that QLess can increase productivity by up to 90 percent!

6. Boost Citizen Satisfaction

When citizens join the virtual queue, are updated about their status, or find the documentation they need at an automated, on-site kiosk, it reduces confusion, minimizes wait times, and increases satisfaction. What’s more, it gives them confidence in the quality of government service they are receiving.

Satisfied customers are less likely to interrupt your staff–they already have status updates and the proper forms. That means your staff is free to do their work.

7. Bring Your Branch Up to Date

No one thinks of government customer service as being on the forefront of cutting edge technology–in fact it’s actually the opposite. But we’re working to change that. QLess brings your government office up to date with cloud-based solutions. This not only gives you access to the latest technology, but it means you don’t have to invest in costly servers or IT upgrades.

The QLess system is 100% cloud based and operational on all standard web browsers. That means you don’t have to buy new hardware or download any programs that might interfere with other operating systems. Featuring a seamless integration, our system saves time and money and doesn’t require IT investments that might bust your budget.

8. Optimize Operations with Data-Driven Insights

The QLess system uses data driven results to deliver valuable insights for your organization. This enables you and your staff to provide the high quality government customer service that citizens want. Our reporting feature allows you to access real time data for each department and location. The reports feature lets you see what areas of your organization need more help, less help, or are functioning efficiently. You can filter results by hour, day, week, month, and year and compare locations accordingly.

The reports include information on no-shows, return rates, transaction type, average wait time, service duration, delays, outcome, and more. You can even download the report to Excel, Access, or CSV for better study or export. Ultimately, these reports deliver data and analytics you can use for critical decision making. They will help you optimize staff, locations, and prepare for peak periods of traffic.

9. Collect Citizen Feedback

It’s one thing to understand that citizens are frustrated with government customer service, long wait times, and confusing bureaucracy–it’s another to actually know what they think is working and they think needs improvement. The QLess system enables you to gather valuable insights to help you optimize your process, identify the areas that need improvement, and put staff where they’re most needed.

Our automated survey feature collects real feedback from citizens that are using governmental services. This engagement allows you to truly understand the needs and frustrations of those that use your services.

Deliver Top Notch Government Customer Service

One of the most difficult aspects of providing customer service in government organizations is the negative connotations people associate with government services. People just don’t think about the government as providing good service. But we can change that.

The QLess system provides solutions that work. For example, QLess partnered with Orange County Florida to update their services. Citizens in Orange County can pay taxes, apply for licenses, and obtain official documents through the QLess system. According to Jim Cochrane, Chief Information Officer for the Orange County Tax Collector lines are significantly shorter, citizens are happier, and they have “35% fewer people waiting in line for service and any time.”

Whether you provide permitting, official documents, or any other governmental services that require waiting, scheduling, and paperwork–QLess for Government can help.

Get in touch today to request a demo.