Eligibility Support Services Q-Flow System

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

In 2007, the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department Eligibility Support Services area implemented the Q-Flow Customer Queuing System as the first point-of-contact for the approximately 23,000 in-office customers served each month. Customers entering the Century Plaza building are quickly screened, issued a ticket in English, Spanish, or Somali by a Greeter or a self-service kiosk and then directed to the appropriate waiting area. Comfortably seated, customers may watch CNN or Nickelodeon or an informational slideshow. Large screens display and announce tickets in all three languages. Customers no longer wonder where to go or experience the frustration of standing in long lines or not knowing if they are actually in a queue to be seen. Eligibility Supports and Administrative Services Area staff welcomed this opportunity to partner with staff from Information Technology/Records Management, Enterprise Information Technology Services, Purchasing and Contract Services, Property Service, and Administrative Services to improve customer service and capture data. Since implementation, wait times have been substantially reduced, and customers are confident they will be served and their privacy maintained. The positive results of the Q System include improved customer flow, increased customer satisfaction, and valuable service time information.