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April 16, 2008
Dear Customers:
In the past twelve months we have seen many improvements in
customer service at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) and we believe
2008 promises to be even better. In my first year as Registrar, ending
April 16,
2008, I have been both humbled by, and grateful for, all of our
customers who have come together to help us improve our service to
Ohio’s citizens. Our customers include the public; BMV staff; 215
independently owned and operated Deputy Registrar retail locations who
sell driver licenses and license plates; auto dealers; clerks of
court; judges; and police agencies statewide. Together we helped
improve customer service, communication and community outreach. The
challenges we face going forward are formidable but not
insurmountable.
The Ohio BMV’s primary responsibilities are the licensing of
nearly eight million drivers and the registering of more than 12.1
million motor vehicles throughout the state. The BMV also works very
closely with the automotive industry in
Ohio.
The BMV is responsible for licensing motor vehicle salespersons; new,
used, salvage car, and truck dealers; and motor vehicle leasing
dealers. Our expert team of civil investigators works statewide with
federal and local authorities to successfully prosecute incidents of
identity theft; title, registration and ID fraud; odometer fraud; and
a host of other offenses. The BMV also manages the suspension of
approximately 750,000 licensed drivers each year and the reinstatement
of privileges to those eligible.
To discover what the BMV needed to do to enhance and improve
our service, we needed to first determine what mattered most to all of
our customers, including frontline BMV staff, and Deputy Registrars
(DR). Through the use of surveys, active listening, and customer
interaction, we have been able to identify those important issues and
ways to improve upon them. We have also empowered our customers by
seeking their input and solutions.
Below are just a few brief examples of the BMV improvements
we have made in the past twelve months.
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For the
first time in the 100-year history of the BMV, surveyed a broad
range of customer groups to learn how we can better serve
everyone who provides and uses our services. |
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Worked to
eliminate social security numbers from BMV printed documents
provided or sent to our customers. |
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Encouraged
all parents or guardians of children age 17 or younger to secure
a state issued ID which placed their information into a
statewide digital photo database police can access if the child
is abducted. |
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Prepared
examples of the newly designed Ohio license plate selected by
First Lady Frances Strickland. |
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Processed
bids on new driver license printers and cameras for the Deputy
Registrar license agencies to replace aging equipment. |
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Helped
improve the reliability of our mission-critical BASS IT
operating system that makes it possible to serve our front line
customers accurately, quickly and efficiently. |
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Worked with
the state legislature to secure and implement the first “Ohio
Next of Kin” notification system to contact family members if an
individual is hospitalized after a vehicular crash. |
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Helped
facilitate the approval and issuance of the gratis “Purple
Heart” and “Gold Star” special license plates for immediate
family members to honor their loved ones killed while serving
their country in a combat zone. |
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Improved
online driver record access and vehicle registration services.
Citizens may visit
www.ohiobmv.com for information on their driving
record and on how to fight identify theft. |
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Partnered
with the BMV’s authorized organ donation group, Lifeline of
Ohio, to install a limited number of flat screen televisions at
Deputy Registrar locations to alert customers to BMV law
requirements and the benefits of organ donation. |
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Conducted a
complete due diligence review of all BMV business practices and
operations to identify ways to improve. |
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Improved
efficiencies by consolidating and cross training of BMV staff
and DRs; empowering them and our customers; and developed
horizontal leadership in an effort to improve customer service. |
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Implemented
a Best Practices and Auditing working group to identify and
apply methods for improvement in operational efficiencies,
accountability, fraud detection, systems integrity, and
technology enhancements to meet customer demands. |
The majority of the more than $900 million in fees collected
annually by the BMV for the services it provides are returned to the
citizens of
Ohio – to cities, townships and counties for countless road and
highway projects and improvements.
This is the BMV’s 100th year of providing service to
Ohio’s citizens. I am
grateful for how our frontline staff, managers and Deputy Registrars
have stepped up to the task of turning the BMV into a service
organization that truly values good customer service, communication
and community outreach. This doesn’t happen without everyone at every
level taking responsibility for their part of the mission.
2008 will be a challenging yet successful year, providing we
stay the course. Special thanks are due to our customers for their
patience as we have worked to implement policies and procedures to
protect them while offering the highest quality service. The BMV is a
state administrative agency obligated by law to carry out the
requirements of state and federal law as they relate to vehicle
registrations and driver license issuance. We endeavor to assist
everyone in providing the best customer service possible within the
scope of that responsibility.
Thank you to staff, customers, friends, Governor Strickland,
Lt. Governor Fisher, Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Guzmán
and all of our partners in public safety for your contributions and
efforts. Please visit us at
www.ohiobmv.com for all of your BMV needs.
At your service,
Mike Rankin, Registrar
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