Customer Service - IL SOS-DMV

Gus Philpott
April 25, 2007

When you call an Illinois State Government office, what kind of service do you expect? Usually?

It is always refreshing to call the Department of Motor Vehicle Services at the Springfield office of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White! Every time I call, and I'm a man with a lot of motor vehicle questions, I don't just get good customer service, I get GREAT customer service. Calls are answered in a friendly voice, and agents are ready to serve.

Customer service agents in Springfield are friendly, knowledgeable, and they actually listen before answering. Today was no exception, when I called for information about State IDs - not the driver's license, but the State photo ID card. The agent listened carefully when I told him about what I was calling and that I had a specific question. He answered it thoroughly and in an unhurried manner. He agreed with the point I was making about an illogical requirement, and he explained the legal reasoning behind the requirement.

Other state offices could take a lesson from the delivery of service that residents get, when they call Jesse White's office. Here are the numbers: (800) 252-8980 (prominently displayed on the back cover of the Illinois Rules of the Road) and, for those with unlimited long-distance calling, (217) 782-6212. Why not save us taxpayers a few nickels?