July 31, 2003

Improving customer service was the topic of discussion as Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land met today with staff and the public at the Bellaire, Charlevoix, Kalkaska and Petoskey branch offices.

Land is making good on her promise to visit all 173 Department of State branch offices this year. She already has visited over 140 branches since taking office in January.

Enhancing customer convenience and department efficiency through Internet technology is among her priorities.

"Our emphasis on technology is already paying off for customers," Land said. "I am proud of our accomplishments but there is still more that we can do. Sharing ideas with employees and the public helps to further our mutual goal of better customer service."

Land’s new campaign "Skip the Trip! Save Time, Renew Online!" generates awareness of available online services. As part of that effort, Land recently asked that outdated branch office signs still bearing her predecessor’s name be modified to incorporate the department Web address www.michigan.gov/sos. Only signs in disrepair will be replaced entirely.

She also is exploring ways to improve service for people visiting branch offices. Possibilities include extending office hours and offering Saturday hours in select locations; expanding the use of credit-card transactions to include branch office services; overcoming language barriers by posting multilingual signs in offices that help visitors understand what information they must bring to conduct business; and improving office accessibility by working to repair pavement in parking lots, improve lighting, and provide timely snow removal.

The Secretary commended regional branch office employees for their performance and pointed out the tremendous volume of work that they handle.

The Bellaire office processed more than 25,000 transactions last year. Charlevoix handled over 42,000, Kalkaska processed over 54,000, and Petoskey managed nearly 84,000 transactions.

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