Customer Flow Management

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

To address the public’s need for excellent customer service that is also fast and efficient, the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office expanded a project in 2006 designed to improve the customer’s experience. Initially the focus of this project was to ensure that customer service counters were fully staffed and to provide staffing in the lobby areas for express service to customers who were not in need of the full service provided at a window. It became apparent rather quickly that while customer wait times improved, a more comprehensive automated queuing system was needed. The project team felt that it was not only important to adopt a queuing system, but to also provide a pleasant atmosphere for customers who were waiting for service. To enhance the atmosphere, the program included flat screen television monitors that contain a queuing function, real time news reports, and information regarding the various functions of the office. It even includes information about their Volunteer Program and encourages customers to join. Since this system has been in place, their volunteers have increased in number, and many new volunteers have stated that they noticed the information as they waited for service. The system also includes a self-service kiosk that assists customers who speak limited or no English. In the back office, the program gives supervisory staff the ability to actively manage customer flow by providing real time data that shows how many customers are waiting and how long they have been in the queue. In addition to offering real time data, this system has a reporting feature that details previous customer flow information. These reports are used to study possible trends that help to project future staffing needs and other resource requirements in order to ensure efficiency.