Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced Oct. 19 a new online service —ExpressSOS.com. Since its release, the no-wait, online expansion of the Secretary of State has provided customer convenience as well as enabling employees to better serve visitors at the local branch offices.
“By expanding online, we are able to transform the way we serve our customers,” Johnson said in a statement. “This news means more convenience for our clients while alleviating lines at our branch offices so that our employees can provide even better service.”
Some Ypsilanti residents, however, have yet to hear about or give the online service a try.
Interest in development of the online service spiked after secret shoppers were sent into branch offices earlier in 2011. The shoppers discovered that lengthy waits were a theme consistent throughout the branches surveyed.
Online, customers are now able to save time and visits to their local Secretary of State offices by completing certain transactions: renewal or replacement of driver’s licenses and IDs, address changes as well as vehicle registration and title copy making.
Despite the introduction of ExpressSOS, lines still prove to be long and days busy at the Ypsilanti Secretary of State office. According to the Secretary of State office, every year more than 10 million people visit their local offices.
“We saw people waiting in line for an hour just to submit an address change,” Johnson said. “For that one service alone, nearly 700,000 people come into our branch offices every year and take a number. With ExpressSOS.com, most of them will be able to complete such transactions from their own homes, from their community library, or anywhere else that has an Internet connection. It’s a citizen-centric solution.”
Informing customers of online services such as ExpressSOS is an important step in getting the service widely used. The Ypsilanti branch provides pamphlets to customers that give them a web address and a brief overview of services accessible through ExpressSOS.
The Secretary of State produced a low-cost advertisement campaign to increase awareness of ExpressSOS.
Advertisement tools include billboards, radio spots and online advertisements all wearing the message:
“ExpressSOS: The online, no-wait Secretary of State.”
Some customers are aware of the online services but continue to visit their local branch office because they are familiar with the process.
“I would rather do it online, but I always go in. I’m used to it,” said Jay Powers, an Ypsilanti Secretary of State customer.
Another Ypsilanti branch customer, Mindy Collins said, “I usually still come in, but I would use online services.”
Submission of personal information over the Internet can push some people away from using online Secretary of State services.
“I’d be really afraid to use online services because of personal information,” said Eastern Michigan University freshman Elizabeth Eddy.
Even so, more than 250,000 transactions have been conducted on the website.
There is a Michigan Security Policy in place to protect online users and catch perpetrators attempting to tamper with the ExpressSOS site. The measures are designed to prevent corruption of data, block unauthorized access to ExpressSOS systems and information, keep information between users of the site and the state private, and protect personal information that is in the State’s possession. The state also uses special software that monitors the traffic of their online systems in order to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information.
Some Secretary of State customers do not use ExpressSOS because they are not familiar with using the Internet or do not have Internet service at home.
ExpressSOS can make Secretary of State transactions simpler for both customers and employees if people are aware of the service and are open to using it. Secretary of State Ruth Johnson’s goal of diminishment in long waits and enhancement of service at branch offices can be achieved once customers are aware and comfortable with reaping the benefits of ExpressSOS.
Additional online services are in the works as well, such as renewal or request of enhanced licenses or ID cards. The Secretary of State is also planning a major upgrade involving computer software that will assist employees to more efficiently serve their customers.
