Apr. 21, 2010: Long lines at the RMV again

ONCE TOUTED AS A BUREAUCRATIC

MIRACLE WHEN LONG LINES

DISAPPEARED, THE REGISTRY OF

MOTOR VEHICLES IS SUFFERING A

SETBACK.

BUDGET CUTS ARE RESULTSING IN

A RETURN OF LONG LINES AND

IMPATIENT CUSTOMERS, LEAVING

ALREADY FRUSTRATED BAY STATE

DRIVERS SPINNING THEIR WHEELS.

>> MAY I HELP YOU?

>> I NEED TO RETURN A COUPLE

PLATES.

>> IT'S LUNCH TIME AT THE

WATERTOWN REGISTRY OF MOTOR

VEHICLES, BUT THE ONLY THING

BEING SERVED HERE IS A HEALTHY

HELPING OF HANGING AROUND.

>> I WAITED TWO HOURS, THEY

SAID AN HOUR.

AND I'M LATE FOR WORK.

>> TWO HOURS SEEMS EXCESSIVE

TO HAVE YOUR LICENSE RENEWED.

>> FACED WITH STEEP BUDGET

CUTS, THE REGISTRY CLOSED

EIGHT BRANCHES LAST SUMMER AND

THEN OPENED FOUR NEW BRANCHES

IN RENT-FREE LOCATIONS.

BUT NOT ALL THE NEW BRANCHES

ARE FULL SERVICE.

THE FALLOUT HERE, LINES SO

LONG THEY WRAP AROUND THE

INSIDE BEFORE SPILLING INTO

THE WATERTOWN MALL.

>> I USUALLY GO OUT TO

FRAMINGHAM, BUT THE BRANCH IS

CLOSED SO, I HAD TO COME HERE

AND I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS

GOING TO BE THIS BUSY.

>> SOMETHING HAS GOT TO HAPPEN,

BECAUSE THERE'S DEFINITELY A

BACKUP OF PEOPLE IN HERE.

IT'S WAY OUT OF CONTROL.

>> TO SOFT EN THE BLOW THE R.

M. V. IS INSTALLING SELF HELP

KIOSKS FOR LICENSE PLATE

CANCELLATIONS, AND IT'S

DRIVING CUSTOMERS TO ITS

WEBSITE FOR SIMPLE

TRANSACTIONS LIKE LICENSE AND

REGISTRATION RENEWAL.

BUT FOR SOME CUSTOMERS,

THERE'S NO CHOICE BUT TO SHOW

UP.

>> I GOT HERE AT NOON AND I'VE

BEEN HERE AN HOUR.

>> IT'S AN ESTIMATED TIME ON

THE TICKET

>> THERE ARE THE PATIENT FEW

WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT LIKE

OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE

SLUGGISH ECONOMY, THE R. M. V.

IS SIMPLY DOING MORE WITH

LESS.

>> I KNOW THE REGISTRY GETS A

BAD RAP IN SOME WAYS, BUT

THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GREAT.

>> IT THE REGISTRY OF MOTOR

VEHICLES, EVERYBODY COMES TO

THE REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES,

SO IT'S HARDER THAN PEOPLE

THINK.

>> HARDER FOR THE PEOPLE

WAITING AND FOR THE EMPLOYEES

WORKING.

AND REGISTRAR RACHEL

KAPRIELIAN IS HERE.

I SEE YOU LOOKING AT THAT,

GOING OH NO, BUT THAT WAS A

MONDAY?

>> MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS ARE OUR

BUSIEST DAYS.

END OF THE MONTH, BEGINNING OF

THE MONTH AND VACATION WEEK.

THEN IN THE SUMMER WE GET

BUSIER BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE OFF

MORE OFTEN.

I KNOW WHEN THOSE BUSY TIMES

ARE.

SOON AS I SAW THAT CLIP, I

KNEW IT WOULD BE --

>> WE DIDN'T PICK THE MOST

BUSY DAY INTENTIONALLY.

BUT THE CLOSING OF THE

SATELLITE OFFICES, THAT REALLY

CONTRIBUTED TO THIS.

WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO DO

THAT?

>> WELL, WE TOOK A $13 MILLION

CUT IN ONE YEAR AND ONE OF THE

PROBLEMS WITH AN AGENCY LIKE

OURS IS THAT IN ORDER TO GLEAN

THE SAVINGS OVER A FISCAL YEAR,

YOU NEED TO MAKE THE CUTS

IMMEDIATELY.

SO YOU CAN HAVE TIME TO

RECOVER.

AND A BUDGET CYCLE LIKE IT IS

DOES NOT AFFORD YOU THE LUXURY

OF A LOT OF CONSIDERATION OF

HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO THINGS

WHEN.

WE DID DO THINGS VERY SMART,

THOUGH, IN TERMS OF OUR ACTUAL

SPACE.

WE MOVED FROM EXPENSIVE

PRIVATE LEASES INTO FREE

PUBLIC SPACE, AND THAT HELPED

US SAVE STAFF.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, BY

ATTRITION, WE LOST ALMOST 50

PEOPLE WHO ARE FRONT LINE

STAFF.

AND THAT IS WHO MOVES THE MAIL.

LONG LINES LIKE THAT, WHEN YOU

HEARD SOMEONE SAYING, WAITING

AS LONG AS THEY SAID,

UNACCEPTABLE, ABSOLUTELY

UNACCEPTABLE.

IT IS WHAT I THINK ABOUT EACH

DAY EVERY DAY TO TRY TO

MITIGATE THESE LINES.

AND THE BIGGEST RESPONSE IS

THE INTERNET.

DON'T WAIT IN LINE WHEN YOU

CAN GO ONLINE.

>> HOW DO PEOPLE GET A

PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IF THEIR

RENEWING THEIR LICENSE?

>> THAT'S ONE FUNCTION YOU

NEED TO DO, EVERY TEN YEARS

YOU NEED TO GO IN FOR A

PICTURE.

BUT ANY GARDEN VARIETY LICENSE

RENEWAL ON THE FIVE-YEAR AND

--

FOR SECURITY PURPOSES WE NEED

TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE WHO YOU

SAY YOU ARE AND THAT IMAGE IS

SECURE.

WE HAVE THE MOST SECURE

LICENSE IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW,

SO IT'S ONCE EVERY TEN YEARS.

THERE'S NO REASON YOU NEED TO

GO TO A BRANCH MORE THAN ONCE

EVERY TEN YEARS.

BUT PEOPLE ARE CREATURES OF

HABIT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO A

BRANCH, YOU CAN GO ONLINE, GO

TO ONE OF OUR SELF HELP KIOSKS,

MAIL IN YOUR REGISTRATION.

UPWARDS OF 70% OF OUR

REGISTRATION RENULLS ARE

THROUGH THE MAIL.

>> BUT YOU'VE GOT TO BELIEVE

THOSE PEOPLE IN THAT LINE KNEW

THAT.

AND THEY WERE THERE FOR A

REASON.

>> I THINK LOTS OF THEM ARE

WHAT WE CALL THE LAST MINUTE

PEOPLE, THEY'RE THERE THE DAY

THEIR LICENSE EXPIRES, THE DAY

THE REGISTRATION STRATION

EXPIRES.

>> IT'S GOT TO BE PAINFUL FOR

YOU.

>> OF COURSE IT IS.

>> DAN GRABAUSKAS WAS A HERE.

>> THE LEGISLATURE DECIDED

THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE

TURNING THE REGISTRY AROUND IN

THE LATE 90s A PRIORITY. AND

$16 MILLION WENT, AND THATS

WAS THEN, TO THAT EFFORT.

HE MADE SOME MANAGEMENT

DECISIONS THAT HAVE WITH STOOD

TO THIS DAY.

THE SYSTEM THAT TELLS YOU HOW

LONG YOU'LL WAIT AND WHAT

NUMBER YOU ARE.

NOW SERVING, EXACTLY.

AND WATERTOWN IS ALSO THE

SECOND BUSIEST BRANCH IN THE

STATE.

>> YOU CLOSED IT A OF --

EIGHT OF THESE ELEVEN BUREAUS,

AND REOPENED FOUR, BUT THEY'RE

NOT FULL SERVICE.

WHY NOT?

>> THE STAFFING.

WE REDEPLOYED STAFF AND WE

ENSURED THAT THE MOST COMMON

TRANSACTIONS WERE PRIORITIZED.

THE PROBLEM IS IF YOU GO IN

FOR A PERMIT THERE'S FEWER

BRANCHES NOW THAT DO PERMITS.

SO YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY

PRESTAGE YOUR VISIT.

ANOTHER THING, WE HAVE A NEW

LICENSE, WE MADE THAT PROCESS

TAKE ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME

THROUGH OUR PRESTAGING LIKE

WHEN YOU GO TO THE AIRPORT,

YOU PICK WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO

GO AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, THAT'S

WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO NOW

WITH THE REGISTRY OF MOTOR

VEHICLES.

PRESTAGE YOUR VISIT.

SO IT'S THE SAME FORM, IT WILL

TAKE HALF THE TIME AND THAT

WILL HELP EVERYBODY IN THE

BRANCH, NOT JUST THAT

CUSTOMER.

>> I'M WONDERING IF, YOU HAVE

TO GET IN LINE TO EVEN GET TO

THE DESK WHERE THE GUY TELLS

YOU WHAT LINE TO BE IN.

>> YES.

>> I REMEMBER WHEN I USED TO

DO THIS IN CONNECTICUT, THEY

HAD A GUY AT THE DOOR, A

GREETER.

AND THEY TOLD YOU WHICH, YOU

KNOW, SO YOU KNEW RIGHT AWAY,

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GET IN LINE

TO GET THE THING SAYING YOU'RE

IN THE B LINE OR THE E LINE.

>> WELL, THE BEAUTY OF THE

LINE, WHEN YOU GET THERE AT

8:30 AND YOU SEE THE LINE

LITERALLY WRAPPING AROUND THE

CORNER, IT MOVES.

SO IF YOU ARE IN LINE AT A

HALF-HOUR BEFORE WE OPEN,

YOU'LL SERVED IN SHORT ORDER,

BECAUSE THEY OPEN THE DOORS,

YOU'VE GOT A FULL CREW AND OUR

STAFF REALLY DOES MOVE.

THERE WAS A COMMENT ON THAT

CLIP THAT SAID THE STAFF IS

GREAT.

OUR STAFF IS GREAT. WHAT THEY

MANAGE EVERY DAY, AND

EVERYBODY DOES COME TO THE

REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES,

AND YOU HAVE ALL TYPES OF

THINGS THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE

ISSUES, THERE'S NO FAULT OF

OUR STAFF.

BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT

WHEN YOU GET THERE, YOU'RE

WAITING FOR THE PREDICTABLE

AMOUNT OF TIME, THAT IT IS NOT

E GREEJ US AND THAT IT IS

EFFICIENT.

THAT IS OUR GOAL EVERY SINGLE

DAY.

>> WHEN THE BUDGET CUTS HIT

THE REGISTRY, A LOT OF PEOPLE

SPECULATED THAT IT WAS

PUNITIVE, SO THAT THE PUBLIC

WOULD ACTUALLY FEEL THE PAIN

OF THE BUDGET CUTS, BECAUSE

FOR THE MOST PART WE DON'T

FEEL IT.

STATE WORKERS GET LAID OFF, OR

THEY SHUT DOWN SOME AGENCY OR

OTHER, MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO

CONNECTION, YOU KNOW, PERSONAL

CONNECTION WITH STATE

GOVERNMENT.

BUT EVERYBODY DOES WITH THE

REGISTRY.

YOU THINK THERE'S ANY TRUTH TO

THAT?

>> EVERYBODY DOES DEAL WITH

THE REGISTRY.

BUT THERE WERE BUDGET CUTS

ACROSS THE BOARD IN EVERY

AGENCY, AND IT VARIED IN

DEGREE.

WE TOOK A PRETTY STIFF CUT AND

IT WAS A VERY, IT HAD TO BE

IMPLEMENTED RIGHT AWAY.

I WASN'T LOOKING TO BE THE

ALPHA DOG TO SHOW YOU WHAT

THIS LOOKS LIKE, BUT IT IS

WHAT BUDGET CUTS LOOK LIKE.

AND IT IS FELT.

AND IF YOU HAVE FEWER STAFF

PEOPLE AND YOU SHUT DOWN A FEW

BRANCHES, AND YOU HAVE 50

FEWER PEOPLE SERVING THE

CUSTOMERS ON THE FRONT LINE,

YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL THAT.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO DO MORE

WITH LESS.

39% INCREASE IN OUR INTERNET

TRAFFIC.

WE'VE GOT KIOSKS GOING UP.

WE'RE LEVERAGING PARTNERSHIPS

WITH OUR INSURANCE AGENTS WITH

AUTO DEALERS.

WE'RE DOING 375,000

TRANSACTIONS OF REGISTRATIONS

THROUGH DEALERS.

AND TRIPLE A, WE HAD A PILOT

PROJECT WITH THEM TO SEE IF

YOU HAVE A TRIPLE A CARD YOU

CAN DO A RENEWAL OF

REGISTRATION OR LICENSE.

AND WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND

THOSE TIMES OF THINGS SO, THAT

THE DRIVER HAS MORE OPTIONS

THAN THE OLD GARDEN VARIETY

GOING TO THE REGISTRY.

WE WANT TO CHANGE THE WAY

PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THEIR

REGISTRY SERVICES, AND THAT

STARTS WITH ONLINE.

16-YEAR-OLDS WERE ABOUT TO GO

INTO THE SEASON WHERE THEY ALL

WANT TO GET THEIR LANDS, THEY

CRAM OUR PHONE CENTER, CAN I

BOOK MY EXAM, HOW ABOUT NOW,

BECAUSE BY THEIR NATURE, THEY

WANT TO GET THEIR LICENSE, --

WEB SAVVY PEOPLE WILL BE

ONLINE.

>> SOME GOOD NEWS, TEEN-AGE

FATAL TEAMS ARE DOWN 70%.

SO THE NEW REGULATIONS WENT

INTO EFFECT ABOUT WHETHER YOU

CAN DRIVE AT NIGHT AND WHEN

YOU CAN TAKE A YOUNG PERSON IN

THE CAR WITH YOU, THAT'S

INCREDIBLE.

>> IT'S VERY TELLING THAT THE

DATA SHOWS THE LAW IS WORKING

AS INTENDED AND IS PROTECTING

YOUNG LIVES.

AND THERE ARE FEWER CRASHES

AND FEWER SPEEDING VIOLATIONS.

IT IS HAVING TO EVERY EXTENT

ITS DESIRED EFFECT.

>> THAT IS INCREDIBLE.

GOOD LUCK ALONG THOSE LINES.

I DON'T KNOW WHEN I'M

REGISTERING AGAIN, BUT I'M

GOING TO BRING MY OWN PICTURE.

RACHEL KAPRIELIAN, THANKS FOR

COMING.

WHEN WE CONTINUE, PROTECTING

YOUR MONEY.