I know everyone thinks they know best. While watching a football game many will question the play call, some even will wonder how on earth a throw or a catch was missed, knowing that if given the chance, I could do better. But there are situations I truly feel I could improve on.
I’m talking about government offices. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to find a way to get to a government office without missing work. Where is the logic in that? Americans taking time off work to get an updated drivers license? Not only is this bad for us as individuals, but it’s not great for the country as a whole. How many lost hours of productivity are there each year due to dealing with the government offices?
Some of these offices are closed during lunch, or even on Friday Saturday and Sunday. The exact same times that are easiest for most Americans to take time off. When you do get to the government office of your choice, you’re greeted with signs plastered on the wall outlining the bevy of rules, and a pack of workers that you would think had to pay to be there. Government workers as a general rule are the most rude, under-educated, miserable humans in the workforce. They care nothing about efficiency and do nothing but make the governmental machine slower and more unpleasant.
My solution is to automate as much as possible. At the licensing offices, employ a photo booth to take an image as you walk in, and carry with your through the entire process of entering your identifying information, then a human verifies, and certifies. Also, the office will open early and stay open late. There will be two shifts of workers, a morning and a swing shift. This will not only make it more convenient for the rest of the workforce to get things done, but will also stagger the commute times, giving some relief to the stressed highway infrastructure.
Anytime identification does not have to be verified by a human and business can be conducted online, it will be. The most powerful and well funded government in the world should not have to have so many physical buildings that have been around since the 1980′s adding to so many problems.
Lastly, employees would have to re-apply for their jobs annually. There is no reason we should have so many un-qualified individuals working for the government, while we have a job shortage, and the rest of the country is in competition for a graveyard shift at Safeway, in which they will be up all night stocking shelves, for $11 an hour, and still have to put on a smile for customers. If that Safeway employee can deliver a high level of customer service, there is no reason we can’t expect the same from a clerk at the Social Security office.