With the success of a pilot program launched this fall at two state Department of Motor Vehicles branches, which recorded a 55 percent reduction in wait times, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced the efficiency measures will be rolled out to other DMV offices around the state.
“For the last few decades, our state”™s DMV systems needed a serious upgrade and modernization,” Malloy said on Dec. 28. “State government needs to find ways to improve customer service in a cost-effective manner, and with this series of improvements we”™re doing just that.”
The moves come in the wake of Malloy asking the DMV in July for a broad-based analysis of reasons for long wait-times, as well as solutions. The latter include opening branch doors 15 minutes early, allowing for reviewing of paperwork and compliance requirements for as many customers as possible as soon as the offices formally open; implementing a “quick ticket” service to give customers a service ticket immediately upon arrival, rather than wait in line to obtain a ticket; and making available a customer advocate to check all paperwork and compliance requirements after customers have a ticket.
Results of the pilot, conducted in September and October at the Enfield and Wethersfield offices, included an overall customer wait-time reduction of 1 hour and 17 minutes to 34.5 minutes ”“ a 55 percent decrease; a 90 percent success rate in the amount of customers able to successfully complete their transactions because of the pre-checks; and a 10 percent reduction in the number of repeat visits needed as the result of form changes and the elimination of red tape.
The accuracy of branch office wait-times that are posted on the DMV”™s website has increased because the process flow was adjusted to give customers a ticket when they arrived, Malloy said.
Beginning in November, the DMV began rolling out the changes in its other branch offices across the state, which are being monitored daily to gauge effects on improvements. As they were rolled out, the branch offices saw the following changes in wait times during November 2016 as compared with the same month during the previous year:
| Branch | Nov. 2015 | Nov. 2016 | % Change | |
| Bridgeport | 1:48:40 | 1:08:12 | -37% | |
| Danbury | 0:51:25 | 0:44:34 | -13% | |
| Enfield | 1:17:01 | 0:41:53 | -46% | |
| Hamden | 1:01:00 | 0:45:42 | -25% | |
| New Britain | 1:30:04 | 0:42:23 | -53% | |
| Norwalk | 1:16:29 | 0:41:18 | -46% | |
| Norwich | 1:08:23 | 1:02:32 | -9% | |
| Old Saybrook | 1:31:02 | 0:55:18 | -39% | |
| Waterbury | 1:15:44 | 0:30:24 | -60% | |
| Wethersfield | 1:14:30 | 0:31:13 | -58% | |
| Willimantic | 0:58:55 | 0:32:15 | -45% | |
| Winsted | 1:20:59 | 0:34:02 | -58% | |
| Overall AWT | 1:16:07 | 0:44:19 | -42% | |
| Avg. time to get service ticket | 0:15:00 | 0:00:00 | ||
| Total Average Wait Time | 1:31:07 | 0:44:19 | -51% |
The DMV is also beginning an upgrade of its telephone customer contact center to improve convenience and efficiency.
