(KGTV) - The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced plans Monday to close for half a day in July to conduct employee customer service training.
Operation Excellence: DMV Training will “equip employees with the tools they need to handle an unprecedented volume of REAL ID applications,” said DMV officials.
Californians will be required to show a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card, or passport, to fly in the U.S. starting Oct. 1, 2020.
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“The unprecedented complexity of the REAL ID requirements is what led to the idea that we needed to take the extraordinary step of closing DMV offices for a short time to make sure all employees have consistent information in order to complete the transactions successfully,” said Government Operations Agency Secretary Marybel Batjer, who is leading the DMV Strike Team. “It is a complicated transaction and we want customers to be well prepared in order to receive their REAL ID efficiently.”
Training sessions for more than 5,000 workers will take place at 183 DMV field offices, commercial drive test centers, and industry business centers statewide.
“Our employees are at the heart of every transaction we perform,” said Kathleen Webb, DMV acting director. “With this commitment to training, we can ensure they have the proper tools, knowledge, and experience to provide excellent customer service to the people of California.”
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“Field offices need to be prepared for at least a doubling of customer volume as the enforcement date approaches,” said DMV officials.
The DMV offices will be closed the morning of July 24 and open for business at 1 p.m.
DMV Call Centers will remain open during the closure. Customers will also be able to conduct business online.
Operation Excellence is part of the DMV Reinvention Strike Team, created by Gov. Gavin Newsom to modernize the agency through transparency, speed, and customer satisfaction.
