Before Thursday Thanksgiving and Black Friday rolled around last month, I experienced “Wait Wednesday.”
Knowing I needed to convert my basic, plain, less-than-a-year-old driver’s license to the new, super snazzy, REAL ID version, I tapped open my phone calendar app to figure out when I could plan this strategic mission to my local Driver Services Facility. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect time; I was free all day and could arrive at the Deerfield facility when it opened and just zip in-an-out, right?
Apparently, half of Deerfield and many more from surrounding communities had the exact same idea. Yep, great minds.
Since my daughter also needed to update her license, we both arrived right when the place opened at 8:30 a.m. It was just the two of us and about 100 others shivering in a long line outside while braving frigid winds strong enough to stop birds in flight.
We were all clutching our bundled paper documents required for this mission and neither force of wind nor stretch of time would stop us! This was going to be a long morning, but not as bad as I thought when we first joined this line of like-minded, crazy-efficient types.
After about 45 minutes of wind-whipped waiting outside, we finally got through the front door and warmed-up while weaving through the inside rope line. Remembering the not-so-friendly attitude I experienced the last time I was here, which I wrote a previous column about, I was preparing for “the staff shtick” – where the folks who work here act as if they were one number away from winning yesterday’s lottery jackpot and everyone in front of them is to blame.
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However, when we finally got to the front of the line, I was surprised when I was greeted by a friendly staffer saying, “Hi, how can I help you today?” – and meaning it. The same went for my daughter and everyone else waiting this long to check in at checkpoint No. 1.
Apparently, word got back to the secretary of state’s office about the usual unfriendliness visitors had experienced and some changes were made. And despite the huge crowd on this non-stop activity morning, we experienced the same friendly attitude by staffers at the photo station and at the really long counter of representatives ready to process all our documents. You know, when you wait in an uncomfortable plastic chair and run through every single app on your phone before your special number is called to, “Come on down!”
After you’ve made it this far, the last step is wrapping everything up at the cashier. That’s where you pay the state for the opportunity to slog through this indoor obstacle course of bureaucracy.
We were almost done and again, we were greeted by a friendly employee ready to check us out. We even had a friendly laugh about why my new REAL ID license was only $5, compared to the higher cost for the one my daughter was receiving. It didn’t matter, we both wanted to be done, and the pleasantries of everyone who helped us at the Deerfield facility made this long morning much more bearable.
When we finally walked out, both with new temporary driver’s licenses, it was 11:30 a.m., so three hours on the nose from start to finish.
Much to our surprise, there was no outside line when we walked out. So, my whole arrive early strategy got… well… blown away in the wind.
It wasn’t lost on me that this type of experience is one of the few great equalizers we still have around. Whether you’re a billionaire or making minimum wage, everyone who wants a driver’s license goes through the same process. There isn’t a first class or premium customer line (with the exception of senior citizens and expecting moms) as far as the secretary of state is concerned.
Yes, the staff here has become much friendlier, and hopefully at other facilities as well – a huge improvement. However, any process that involves multiple hours of waiting needs to be revamped in this age of efficiency and on-demand service.
Warm smiles and friendly faces only go so far when you’ve been on your feet or planted in extreme, non-luxury, waiting room seating for hours on end. My hope is that the secretary of state doesn’t stop with the improved customer service touch. How about improving a process that converts “Waiting Wednesday” into everyday efficiency?
Eric Scott is a Pioneer Press freelance columnist.