For most people, buying and registering a car is a significant expense, and navigating the associated taxes and fees can be stressful. Whether you meticulously budget every dollar or simply worry about having enough to cover the costs, uncertainty about these fees can add unnecessary anxiety to the process.
Unlike a simple sticker price, the cost of registering a vehicle is calculated based on several factors, including vehicle type, vehicle age, and the county where the vehicle is registered. While the DMV’s internal systems efficiently automated this calculation, the public lacked access to a similar tool. The DMV website directed individuals to call the customer service call center for fee estimates, creating a bottleneck and adding to call volumes.
Analyzing call analytics data, the Tax Division’s CX champions discovered that questions about fees were the most common topic of conversation in calls between July 2023 to June 2024. Customers visiting the fees page also repeatedly shared feedback calling for a self-service solution. One user shared, “I want to be able to see exactly what all the fees are for vehicle registration. If [the law requires private sector service providers] to show all fees, there should be a calculator here to do the same.”
In response, the Tax Commission developed a public-facing fee estimator. Because we can’t ensure customers provide the right information, the Tax Commission can’t provide a binding quote. But it can provide an estimate based on the same calculations it will use when you’re in the office.
It’s a simple idea, but implementing a change to the Tax Commission’s IT infrastructure isn’t a simple task. It includes:
- Mapping the functionality: Tax’s CX Champion defined precisely how the estimator would work and what inputs it would require. They used this to submit a change request, formally requesting the development of the estimator.
- Securing approvals and prioritization: With limited development resources, building the estimator required diverting resources from other essential tasks. To get it through, the team required strong justification to demonstrate the public benefit. Precise data from Qualtrics helped them make the case.
- Building and deploying: Tax’s IT team developed the user experience as outlined and built the estimator inside its Motor Vehicle Portal. Then, all website links referring users to call in for fee estimations were changed to point to the new tool.
The result is a user-friendly online tool that empowers Utahns to forecast and plan for their vehicle registration expenses before even buying a car. Now individuals can confidently estimate costs, ensuring they have the necessary funds before visiting the DMV (though, as a side note, many transactions can now be completed online – a topic for another time!).
The impact of the fee estimator has been significant. Since its launch, inquiries about fees have dropped from first most common call center topic in FY24 to fourth in July 2024, and eighth in October 2024, and the page linking to the fee estimator receives over 6,000 monthly visits. This project exemplifies how collaboration between different departments, driven by customer feedback, can lead to meaningful improvements in public service.