In the past a visit to the much maligned Transport Control Department was, to many, more daunting than a trip to the dentist.

Complaints of long lines, staff lacking knowledge, biased vehicle inspections and waits of up to 12 weeks for an appointment had marred the image and reputation of TCD.

Now, a year since the opening of the department's new facilities, customer satisfaction is at an all-time high with shorter waiting times, more knowledgeable staff, online re-licensing and streamlined procedures, according to TCD director Randy Rochester.

He told The Royal Gazette that in order to make the facility more efficient a customer flow analysis was completed two years ago.

It highlighted anomalies in the customer-to-staff ratio as the cause for long queues and waiting times.

"Now we have six windows with six registration clerks on deck all the time and when we are busy we open a seventh window," he said.

Mr. Rochester said the end of the month was always the busiest time at TCD because 60 to 70 percent of people wait until then to register their vehicles.

"We have mitigated this problem by adding extra staff to process the rush of people at the end of the month.

"Instead of the 40 or 50 people hanging out the door like we used to have, there are now never more than 30. Gone are the days that you had to wait around at TCD for up to two hours, most people are now served in ten to 15 minutes."

In response to complaints about the automated phone system in the old facility, a call centre has been opened.

"We now have two persons dedicated to receiving all calls," said Mr. Rochester. "We receive about 11,000 phone calls a month and now people will get a person on the line rather than a machine.

"We have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions posed to TCD and distributed them to our call centre representatives.

"The reps are now able to answer the majority of questions that they receive on the spot rather than transferring the caller to other departments."

And to enable staff to better assist customers, TCD has begun documenting all of its business processes.

"By documenting our business processes, team members learn the procedures for just about all facets of the department, allowing them to answer questions more effectively," said Mr. Rochester.

Mr. Rochester said TCD was looking to improve its processes even more, through various initiatives such as improved signage and electronic registration kiosks.

But he admitted that people can be hard to please.

"Once we start getting people out of here in five minutes, people will complain if they have to wait for six," he joked.

Happy employees make happy customers and by improving the working conditions at the North Street facility, staff are more willing to help patrons, said Mr. Rochester.

According to him, the old TCD building was more than 50 years old when it was replaced last year, was too small and in need of repairs.

When it rained, trash buckets were distributed to staff to collect the water that would leak from holes in the roof and employees were sometimes bombarded by falling ceiling tiles.

Due to lack of space, closets and any available open spaces were converted into offices, leaving the staff cramped and uncomfortable.

"It was an accident waiting to happen," said Mr. Rochester. "Staff are much more upbeat now that they are no longer working in a building that was very old and unsafe."

TCD has also implemented electronic testing for things like braking and headlights, removing subjectivity from their exams.

And while examinations and testing are still done at their headquarters, TCD's website www.etcd.gov.bm allows customers to re-license their vehicles and make inspection appointments online.

To use the online service, customers are asked to create a username and password that will be used anytime they log on.

The online service has been successful in curtailing waiting times and saving patrons the trip to Hamilton, but according to Mr. Rochester, one of the biggest problems is the tendency for people to forget the password they choose.

"We would like the public to be aware that the password used for the website is permanent and can be used year after year," he said. "We have had a lot of people calling us because they have forgotten their password.

"It is important to keep it written in a safe place so that it is accessible the next time they need to log on."

Seniors have been given their own waiting area with a clerk catering specifically to them.

The testing facilities at Southside and Rockaway have been made to match the layout of the Hamilton facility, preventing any confusion in customers and what was once a wait of up to 12 weeks for an emissions test has been reduced to "one or two weeks and on occasion, a few days".

While Mr. Rochester says he has received "very positive" feedback about the new TCD facilities he has vowed to keep improving on them.

"We cannot rest on our laurels, we are still a work in progress and should always be a work in progress."

l Tell us your views of TCD. E-mail cspencer@royalgazette.bm with your experiences.