Jul 28, 2011

West Palm Beach , FL - Wait Times At Your Fingertips

Anne M. Gannon, Constitutional Tax Collector, announces a new text messaging tool for office wait times for driver licenses and state identification cards. “It’s simple. Anyone with a mobile device, can text waitpbc to 41411,” said Gannon. “A text message will be sent showing approximate wait minutes and the number of people currently in line for driver license services.”

The 2010 Legislature transferred the job of issuing Real ID driver licenses from the DMV to local tax collectors. This dramatically increased traffic in Gannon’s service centers because the federal Real ID Act requires that everyone come in person to prove identity. “Our service centers are located in small offices that were not designed to handle heavy traffic flow that resulted from taking on driver license services,” Gannon said. “We are harnessing the power of technology to put new tools directly in the customers’ hands.”

Gannon has implemented several tools to help clients navigate lines and wait times. The lines and wait times increase during the season – November through April. People can schedule appointments for driver license services up to three months in advance and view wait times for high volume services at www.taxcollectorpbc.com. Gannon’s employees also triage the line during peak times so people without required documents do not wait needlessly. Also a mobile receptionist can issue Q-flow tickets to clients standing on line which allows them to circumvent the line. The mobile receptionist can also process simple motor vehicle transactions such as license plate surrender or renewals and handicapped parking permits.

There is no charge for the text messaging service, but a carrier’s standard messaging rates may apply.