DMV’s DashPass queue system was unveiled statewide last September, designed to provide customers with more control over the DMV waiting process. Nine months into the experiment, the agency has cut off outside access to the queue system, citing a high rate of no-shows that made the system inefficient.

“We embraced a new technology that was intended to provide an enhanced customer experience. The technology was not as effective as promised once it was put into a real-world environment,” said DMV Director Troy Dillard.

Dillard said 20 percent of people who logged into the agency’s queue never showed up. As a result, technicians experienced reduced productivity waiting for no-shows to arrive at counters.

“It’s a few minutes of time lost per no-show. Over the course of an entire day at our five metro offices that adds up to a lot of lost time,” said Dillard.

In a three-week period from June 29 to July 17, DMV averaged in excess of 6500

Since July 15th, DMV has experimented, at certain offices, with shutting off outside access to the system – via text, online and telephone – to determine how much the high no-show rate was contributing to expanded wait times.

The initial results, according to Dillard, have been significant.

“We eliminated the queue access from outside the offices last week at select locations and the numbers are telling a powerful story,” said Dillard. He indicated that two offices (Flamingo and Sahara) have reduced the no-show counts by roughly 175 customers per day. He said as a result, average wait times have dropped enough to shut down outside access for all metropolitan offices to determine if similar results can be achieved at all metro locations.

“We know how frustrating it has been for our customers who have had to endure extended wait periods,” said Dillard.

Dillard said the 93 new employees hired on July 1 will be trained by September and provide additional relief at DMV offices. In addition, he said the agency plans to roll out a pilot appointment system in Reno later this year. If successful, the appointment system will be expanded statewide. “Cutting wait times is our number one priority” he added.

Dillard said another trend his agency is seeing is a steady increase in customers using DMV’s alternate services, which include online transactions, kiosks and Electronic Dealer Report of Sales (EDRS) that allow vehicle buyers to register vehicles and receive license plates and tags without a visit to DMV.

Dillard said that in FY 2015, alternate services transactions reached an all-time high of 1.87M.

“Ultimately, we want our customers to be able to conduct most of their business with us without a visit to the office,” he said.