NAGE to RMV Customers: Please Don't Blame Us!
March 8, 2010
NAGE leaders and staff handed out free doughnuts and coffee today to customers waiting in line to conduct business at the Watertown Registry of Motor Vehicles. It was a gesture of kindness to the people who had to endure the 80-90 minute wait times, but more than that, it was a plea to the public to abstain from taking their RMV frustrations out on the NAGE members working behind the counters.
NAGE handed out a flyer (view the flyer) to customers, acknowledging the unacceptable wait times for service and asking for customers to "please not blame" the registry’s service representatives.
Customers seemed to appreciate the message.
One woman said the flyer reminded her to calm down when she finally reached the service counter.
"I don't mean to take it out on the service reps, but sometimes I just get so angry waiting in line forever, just to be told that I'm in the wrong line," she said. "I read the flyer as I was standing in and it made me take a few deep breaths. When I got to the counter, I reminded myself that it wasn't the agent's fault that the lines were so long."
John Mann, the president of Local 292, which represents RMV employees, made his way up and down the long snaking line, explaining to customers why the union was there this morning.
“We're out here to show support for our members who work behind the counters,” Mann said. “Customers are understandably frustrated by the long wait times, which are easily up to an hour long. Sometimes they take their frustrations out on the customer service reps who have no control over the situation and are doing the best they can. We just want to ask them to please not blame the hardworking people behind the counters.”
The wait time in Watertown this morning approached 90 minutes. After taking a number, two customers unfolded beach chairs and pulled out some knitting to work on to bide their time. They knew the wait would be long. They also had some ideas for fixing the problem.
"The answer is not to yell at the people behind the counters. Having you (NAGE) out here today reminded all of us of that," she said. "The answer is also not the internet. I tried to do my business online, but there are a ton of things that require you to come to an actual RMV office. I think hiring more people to help customers would be a good start."