excellent-customer-service

After 10 years, it was finally time to renew my driver's license.

This is actually a lot easier now than it was before, because you can fill out all the paperwork ahead of time to speed up the process. However, I still had to visit our local DMV office because they need to check your eyesight, and since you can now get a federally accepted license (soon to be needed for all domestic flights), you need to prove your citizenship.

Perhaps the most difficult part of this process was making one minor change to my record. I was happy to see my weight remained consistent over a 10-year period and my eyes had stayed the same color. However, when it came to the question regarding hair color, a pain shot up from my toes to the back of my neck! My current card said "blond," and I've always been blond for as long as I can remember. I asked a coworker for her advice, and she said I should put down "N/A"! Now, I'll be the first to admit I'm follically challenged, but from my angle I still see hair up there. My real problem is that my once blond locks have gone grey.

After filling out the form (and wiping my eyes), I went to our "express" DMV office close to my house.  They only handle the simple things, so you can get in and out faster than the full-service office.  Unfortunately, when I arrived, there was already a long line of people waiting. They were having some computer issues, and it was taking three times longer to process each form. I had time, so I waited.

Government employees are generally not known for their stellar customer service. In fact, in most cases they completely seem disinterested in the customer, because they have no reason to care if you're happy or not. Where else can you go to get their services — nowhere! However, what I experienced that day was exceptional customer service. Here is what they did…

3 Excellent Customer Service Examples From the DMV

  1. They continuously informed the group that a problem existed that had no known remedy, and how long the delay would be. Why was that good? Because it gave everyone the ability to make an informed decision on what to do next — wait or leave.
  2. They continued to thank everyone for their patience, and told us all that our time was important and they were sorry for the delay. Not everyone was quite as patient as myself, but they still thanked everyone.
  3. To me, the most important thing they did was smile and make it fun. They joked with the people who were waiting, making many of us laugh. I actually enjoyed my time waiting in line — a first for an impatient person like me!

When I left the DMV, it made me realize how important excellent customer service really is — something we continuously strive for at Esker. Getting a new license took three times longer than it should have, yet by smiling, keeping us all informed, and apologizing and thanking us for our patience, I would guess that the majority of the people walked out very happy with their experience. Amazing how these simple things can create a positive customer experience, even when expectations are not met.

I thanked them when I left for their excellent customer service, and told them they were doing a great job. They really deserved it!

Steve Smith

Steve manages the entire North American, South American, and Latin American operations for Esker, and is a member of our Board of Directors.

More Posts

Follow Me:
Twitter LinkedIn