DMV workers look forward to updated office, better service

Andy Holtmann

Thursday, July 24, 1997 | 11:04 a.m.

When someone says DMV, people usually cringe. Officials at Nevada's Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety want to change this image, and they hope a completely remodeled central facility will help do that.

The DMV closed its office at 2701 E. Sahara Ave. on Nov. 8 to begin a remodeling project designed to add more service windows and ample seating areas to accommodate the nearly 1,200 customers it serves daily.

"The goal is to become more customer friendly," said Donna West, assistant chief of motor vehicle services. "We want people to have a pleasant experience from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.

Construction on the East Sahara office is ahead of schedule and officials hope to have the facility open by mid-July.

The remodeled facility will feature many additions designed to help the customer.

An information desk will operate near the front door to handle any questions as to where a customer should go for assistance. An electronic wall called a "Q-matic" will help customers by serving as a guide. Individuals can enter the information they have along with their needs and the system will print them out a "now serving" ticket.

The customer is then free to have a seat and relax on one of the many benches throughout the facility. According to West, there will be seating for about 100 people at one time.

"Customers no longer have to stand in lines," West said. "We hope to alleviate the lines and the waiting time in one move."

Before the remodeling, the average waiting time was about 1 1/2 hours. With this new system, officials look to reduce the average waiting time to around 15 minutes.

The facility will extend its office hours to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The DMV also plans to add 22 employees to the existing 120.

There are plans to expand the phone services by the end of this year. Under the old system, callers had to wait an average of four minutes before getting through to an operator.

"We are going to be adding eight phone stations that will operate during business hours," West said. "Between this office and our West Flamingo branch, we should have 16 available operators during peak hours."

Bright colors and carpeting have been added to avoid the cold and gloomy appearance that is often associated with DMV buildings. The 25-year-old heating and air conditioning systems have also been replaced.

Other features of the complex include automated teller machines, services for the blind and a mini-express station where customers with simple transactions can be served quickly.

According to West, the renovation is just one step in an ongoing project called "Genesis." In this project, DMV officials are focusing on restructuring the organization, simplifying the work process, adding new technology and continuing improvements to the department.

"This is phase one of a three-phase project that will take about seven years to complete," West said.

"Many of the employees that used to work here are excited and looking forward to coming back," West said. "I think the public will want to come here just to see what we've done. People would be surprised because this does not look like a government building."