In Praise of the DMV
SGR’s 10 in 10 Note – February 19, 2025
In Praise of the DMV
Business and government, particularly local government, are defined by their priorities. For me, that was crystalized by two recent customer service experiences.
The first was with a private online retailer. A few months ago, I ordered a digital photo frame that I planned to give as a gift. I chose a reputable retailer, selected the frame, paid for it, and waited for it to arrive. But long after the advertised delivery time had passed, my order hadn’t shown up and their tracking system offered no updates.
Now I know things can happen, so I reached out to the company about my order. I emailed them and got no response. So, I emailed them again…and again…and again—getting the same result each time—no response. I even tried to reach them on X and on Facebook, but there was no luck there either. Months after I placed the order and was charged for it, I had no resolution and was still waiting for any kind of response.
Conversely, a few weeks ago I went to the local DMV to get a replacement title for a vehicle. I didn’t have the requisite documentation on the vehicle (hence the in-person visit), but I knew the relevant information. I arrived at the DMV and waited in line for 40 minutes. Once at the counter, I provided my driver’s license and gave details on the vehicle with the missing title to the person waiting on me. Ten minutes later, I walked out with a duplicate title.
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