A government offices and an old-style American flag
Waiting in line is a necessary evil that occurs at most businesses, but people find it particularly frustrating at government agencies. That's why many government-sponsored services are reading the room, so to speak, and updating the way they do business with members of their communities. Imagine the convenience of an appointment setting app at the DMV, the permit board, or the city clerk's office. On city, state, and federal levels, agencies realize that tax-paying citizens expect more from their government. People don't want to waste time waiting to register their vehicle, renew their driver's license, or get a fishing license.
Many government agencies already allow citizens to make appointments and reserve time slots. The problem is that people come in late or don't come at all, and other citizens stroll in from the street without an appointment. The flow of business is interrupted. Everything gets jammed up and any semblance of a schedule goes out the window. Customers become frustrated and take it out on employees, who can't perform their jobs to their highest abilities. It isn't enough to schedule appointments. Government agencies need an adaptable system that can keep up with the occasional chaos of doing day-to-day business. The scheduling app from QLess does just that.
Appointments Made Easy
The ability to make appointments at a government facility isn't new, but keeping to the schedule is a concept that's easier to follow in theory than in practice--until now. QLess has an appointment setting app that changes the game. FlexAppointments are designed to decrease wait times while adapting to the ebb and flow of business as it occurs on a day-to-day basis. Citizens can visit a government website and book an appointment based on availability and their own convenience. That's no different from traditional scheduling systems, except that the QLess app holds itself accountable. Being able to book an appointment is only a convenience when it genuinely helps the person making it.
Steady Appointment Reminders
Appointments have a way of sneaking up and then slipping past. From the moment a citizen makes an appointment at city hall or any other government agency, the scheduling software sends out reminders via email and text. The dual communication ensures that each person with an appointment is fully aware that it's coming up, making the feature more successful than an appointment card. Owing to steady updates as their appointment date approaches, citizens are far more likely to show up at the correct time. The reduction of no-shows simultaneously cuts down on wasted time and resources. No-shows will still happen but, as you will see, that no longer has to result in a gap in service.
Dealing with Latecomers and Missed Appointments
People miss appointments. An appointment setting app goes a long way toward decreasing the number of citizens who don't show up or show up late, but it won't eliminate them completely. The app does mitigate the chances by offering visitors several ways to get in touch and change their meeting time if necessary. People can't miss a scheduled time and expect to show up whenever they want either, those occurrences can throw everything into disarray. The QLess system focuses on appointment-holders without penalizing people who come late or have to skip their appointment.
Walk-Ins Welcome
Not everyone who has to visit a government agency will make an appointment, even if they have the ability, that's all right. Government offices can still welcome walk-ins without disrupting the flow of business, just because the office schedules appointments, that doesn't mean that every slot is automatically filled, nor does it mean that each day must be strictly regimented. Let's go back to latecomers and missed appointments, citizens who walk into the agency without an appointment can sign in when they arrive. They will fill open slots, such as those created by no-shows, they also slide easily into time slots that haven't already been taken by folks who booked a meeting.
Prioritized Appointments
People who book appointments automatically have priority, someone who walks in can't take another visitor's time slot. That alone ensures that the daily schedule doesn't descend into chaos. While some appointments may take longer than others, the system doesn't allow anyone to lose their appointment. Latecomers will still have the chance to see the government agent whose help they seek, they will be given the next available meeting time following their arrival. As you'll learn, they also have the opportunity to get in touch with the office and inform the agents that they will be late. At that point, they can change their appointment to an alternate date or time.
Fewer Gaps
The appointment setting app's ability to meet the needs of anyone who comes into the office means that there's less downtime during the workday. Employees won't have to deal with a crush of visitors in the morning and around lunchtime followed by empty hours during the afternoon. It's easy to arrange a steady stream of citizens to maximize the time and skill of every agent. Used in conjunction with a queue management system that reveals details pertaining to each appointment, any government agency can streamline the way they serve citizens.
Two-Way Communication
Not only does the scheduling app send out reminders about the appointment date, it also allows employees to keep people up-to-date about day-to-day business. If the schedule is running behind, a text and email message can alert everyone in the virtual queue that their meeting times will be pushed back a bit. They can adjust their schedules instead of showing up on time and having to wait. There's nothing more frustrating than that, and citizens are vocal about their irritation regarding wait times and missed appointments. Agents can contact individual visitors to let them know that their appointment needs to take place at a slightly later time.
As briefly mentioned, citizens can get in touch with the agency, too. By letting employees know that they're running behind schedule, for instance, they can create a new appointment instead of waiting for an available slot once they finally arrive at the office. People who can't come can cancel their appointments by text or email, thus allowing the app to update the daily schedule and the virtual queue. In turn, that opens up a slot for a walk-in, someone who arrives late, or a person who needs to book a same-day appointment.
Instant Preparedness During High-Pressure Times
The ease and convenience of an appointment setting app come in handy during high-pressure situations too. People need a variety of government services following a disaster, be it a flu outbreak, a blizzard, or another issue that affects a large part of the community. They'll make appointments if they know that it's an option, but the scheduling software ensures that everything remains organized even if the day is full of folks walking in without an appointment. Organization is essential for getting through ordinary days, it is imperative for busy and intense events that require employees to draw on all of their resources.
A Higher Quality of Productivity
Employee productivity increases dramatically in an organized environment that maximizes their skill sets and allows them to do their jobs with ease. When staff members have all the tools necessary to accomplish their duties, they feel better about themselves, their confidence increases, and citizens respond to that. Beyond that, happy and fulfilled agents have a positive impact on the overall environment of the office.
Increased Customer Satisfaction
From the outside, it may be hard to believe that an app has any effect on customer satisfaction, but citizens appreciate efficiency from the agents of their government. Convenience is their aim, and they're not always expecting an easy time of it when they have to visit the DMV or go to the courthouse. An appointment app can prove them wrong while providing a smooth, effortless experience that doesn't take hours out of their day. The combination of enthusiastic employees and pleased citizens will make the office a pleasant place with a reputation for fast and friendly service. Reducing wait times and ensuring that appointments are kept can significantly improve a community's faith in its government. It may seem over-the-top to suggest that an appointment setting app can have that much of a difference, but consider the most common complaints from the average citizen who has to visit a government building, they don't want to be kept waiting, they have places to be and things to do.
Use the QLess system to set and keep appointments, to communicate with citizens, and to streamline customer flow, doing so not only increases customer satisfaction but also impacts employee productivity and morale. The system is simple, seamless, and cost-effective, so why not stand out as a government agency of the modern age?