Tips for a Positive DMV Experience

The realization that a trip to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) lies in your immediate future is enough to get your blood pressure rising. Most people you speak to have their own DMV horror story to share. From endless queues to less than professional service, the DMV doesn’t have a great reputation.

However, a visit to the DMV need not be a nightmare. Here are some tips for making your trip to the DMV as painless as possible.

1. Be prepared

The DMV services thousands of people in the community. Therefore, it’s inevitable that a lot of other people are going there on the same day as you. Everyone has the right to be served, so you’ll have to wait for your turn.

The wait will seem endless if you’re wearing uncomfortable shoes or you’re too warmly dressed. It will also be worse if you don’t have something with you to keep you occupied. As you get hungry and thirsty, you’re going to get more irritated. One of the worst things about standing in a queue is not having someone to talk to while you wait.

Wear flat shoes and layers of clothes. Take a book, crossword puzzle, or make sure your phone is charged so you can text or use social media while you’re waiting. Keep a high-energy snack in your bag as well as some water.

Take someone with you when you go to the DMV. There’s probably someone you know who needs to go there as well. Make the ordeal a little more fun by having someone with you for company.

2. Go online to save yourself some time

Part of the aggravation of being at the DMV is the paperwork you need to complete. And in the worst-case scenario, you get to the front of the queue, only to find out that you have neglected to bring something the DMV needs from you. A lot of people visit the DMV physically when they do not need to do so.

Using DMV Connect, you can access a lot of the services the DMV offers without leaving the comfort of your home. You can also find out what process you need to follow and what information the DMV requires before you go there.

Think how much shorter the queues would be if people accessed information like their driving record online instead of going to the DMV to request it. You wouldn’t feel pushed from pillar to post if you knew beforehand exactly what was needed from you and how much it would cost.

3. Smile, even if it hurts

The DMV seems to be a stressful place to be. If you find it tough going there, think about how difficult it could be to work there. Frontline staff at the DMV are often at the receiving end of people’s frustrations. They have their own horror stories to tell about some of the verbal abuse they’re subjected to regularly.

Instead of predetermining that your experience at the DMV will be negative, do what you can to make it positive. Workers respond far better to customers who are polite and kind. They give what they get, so provide them with plenty of positivity.

Remember that the processes the DMV insist you follow have been laid out by people far higher up in the chain of command than frontline personnel. Blaming them for something that is beyond their control is counterproductive.

Don’t buy into the stereotypes the media presents to you. On TV shows and movies, the DMV is depicted as a place that is a repository of ineptitude and poor service delivery. This is not necessarily the case.