Located in Washington D.C., the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) is responsible for overseeing the issuance of licenses and permits for construction, businesses and homeowners. These services are paramount in ensuring the safety of both home improvement projects and commercial developments of varying scale and scope. Maintaining compliance with zoning, buildings, safety and fire codes is at the heart of the DCRA’s mission. But it also goes beyond that; it‘s also about meeting these goals and providing the best possible customer experience and service while making efficient use of public funds.
The challenge
Before the implementation of Qmatic‘s Customer Journey Management solution, getting a license or a permit at the DCRA was a time consuming and frustrating process for homeowners and developers. And when visitors finally obtained an approval, getting the inspector for an on-site examination was another prolonged affair. With so many people walking through the doors of the DCRA, getting a handle on the services requested was equally stressful for the staff. Because the nature of the inquiries varied in complexity and scope, staff members had a difficult time in ensuring that everyone was treated equally and fairly.
Moreover, the lack of structure added fuel to the situation; staff would have to physically call the next person in line which hampered the ability to provide service promptly. Often resulting in disgruntled customers that would create an atmosphere of confusion for all involved - impacting customer satisfaction, wait time and productivity
Streamlining the visitor journey
Due to the varied customer base and requests, it was essential for DCRA to optimize the management of their workflow to match the needs and experiences of their clients. They therefore embraced Qmatic‘s Orchestra customer journey management platform to streamline their visitor journey and customer services. While making improvements to the individual touchpoints of each customer was helpful it still wasn‘t enough. DCRA also needed a hub that would provide them with insight not only into wait times and the type of service requested but also a systematic way to manage the operation of their organization in order to increase efficiency of service delivery and customer satisfaction.
Creating a professional environment
Through the integration of Qmatic‘s Orchestra platform, an enterprise-class software solution for queue management with cloud deployment, DCRA have been able to see a 25% decrease in wait times, a 20% decrease in transaction time and an increase in customer satisfaction. Now, when a visitor needs to visit the DCRA, they can do so online. Upon arrival, visitors check in at the added self service kiosk which provides them visibility into the projected wait time and their place in the queue.
Qmatic’s solutions has also simplified the process for scheduling on-site permit-based inspections by moving the booking process online. Visitors can schedule a specific inspection date and receive confirmation by having the inspector call them when they are on the way. The implementation of Orchestra has not only resulted in a professional environment that aids in maintaining customer satisfaction and retention, but it has also helped management become more efficient in managing their workflow.
With the added insight from data analytics showing live dashboards of wait times, management have gained realtime monitoring of staff, the awareness that allows them to reallocate staff to high priority areas, and the ability to take appropriate action when targeted service levels are not being met. Thereby increasing productivity, customer service, and seeing a positive impact on their bottom line.
