When I first came to Charlotte, I had to register my car at the DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles). Sure I had to wait a couple hours in line, yet the entertainment was worth it. I witnessed an employee act so rudely to a customer that the customer started cursing in words I've never heard, and she started throwing her papers at the employee all while attempting to climb over the counter to fight the employee. Luckily, her husband grabbed her and threw her out the door. She managed to escape him and open the door again to yell some more obscenities to the rest of us, and then slammed the door... except the door had a hydraulic hinge which prevents it from being slammed. That upset her even more.
Apparently, most people don't find those situations amusing or efficient because we now have e-government which utilizes systems to move public sector services online. E-government,
as defined in our textbook, is the use of the Internet and related technologies
to digitally enable government and public sector agencies’ relationships with
citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.
To
sample, Charlotte’s Mecklenburg Country has its own page referring to
e-government where you can pay taxes, rent a park, search the birth index, and
watch board meetings (sounds fun). Our
local government describes e-commerce as “electronic customer service.” Just as
human customer service has its upsides and downfalls, as does internet-based service. The
very first link I clicked on the Char-Meck’s e-government page failed because
the host website had been shut down – a clear sign that the county does not
routinely update the website. What is better – government employees who are
highly criticized for their mistakes or government websites that cannot
function unless perfectly coded?
The
Economist ran an article several years ago about the pros and cons of e-government.
One of the major cons was how it takes human empathy out of the equation. When
a cop pulls you over for speeding, you can explain to him you’re in a hurry to
make it to court on time for your last speeding ticket. When it’s done through
technology and there are cameras and radars that catch you speeding, it’s hard
to argue with.
Yet The Economist also points out the cost-benefits and the organizational benefits of e-government. Moving services to the Internet eliminates direct costs such as unnecessary paper work and indirect costs such as the gas and time it takes for citizens to complete a trip to a customer-service related public facility. Technology increases timeliness and organization because all the data can go straight to one source which from there can be analyzed (particularly taxes). E-government has expanded services as well such as being able to look at a map and see where construction is going on. Something much more difficult to find out when you have to contract a public employee.
Yet The Economist also points out the cost-benefits and the organizational benefits of e-government. Moving services to the Internet eliminates direct costs such as unnecessary paper work and indirect costs such as the gas and time it takes for citizens to complete a trip to a customer-service related public facility. Technology increases timeliness and organization because all the data can go straight to one source which from there can be analyzed (particularly taxes). E-government has expanded services as well such as being able to look at a map and see where construction is going on. Something much more difficult to find out when you have to contract a public employee.
From your experience, is e-government better or do you want face-to-face contact? What other pros and cons do you see? Do you have any predictions about the future?
Sources:
Mecklenburg County Government (2013). Mecklenberg County e-Government. Retrieved from http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/CountyManagersOffice/eGovernment/Pages/default.aspx
The Economist newspaper (2013). The Good, The Bad and The Inevitable. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/10638105?story_id=10638105
In regards to the DMV, I can renew my driver's license online and avoid waiting in the long lines. Since poor customer service has risen, I prefer not to have face-to-face or even telephone interaction. As for the traffic enforcement cameras, I believe that driver's will be more cautious on the roads, by knowing they are being monitored.
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting! There are some things that I am skeptical about being online for security reasons, but the renewing driver's licenses online is amazing! The lines at the DMV are always depressing, and not to mention, the people in your story as you mentioned above (hilarious by the way).
ReplyDeleteOne thing though... Are you telling me that I can tell a police officer that I'm late for my court date for my last speeding ticket and that will get me out of it?
I think e-government sites can be very efficient when the proper services are being offered. I'm a very busy person and I don't have the luxury of giving away hours of my time just to wait in line for something that could take less than 10 minutes to complete. I would much rather go online to handle my business. It's quick, easy and frees me up so I can move on to the next thing.
ReplyDeleteWell I think E government is wonderful, I mean who would really want to go waste all that time standing in line just to pay taxes or get a car registered when you can do it online in 5min. I mean online is soooooo much better. If there is anyone out here that doesn't agree please let me know why??
ReplyDeleteFor the record, this is an awesome post. I do feel we need to become more open and prone to change as technology makes things so much easier for us; however, it makes me think that our communication skills as Americans will decrease. We will be accustomed to working with technology that we will be reluctant to ever interact with a human; which in all actuality is taking place now.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, this is an awesome post. I do feel we need to become more open and prone to change as technology makes things so much easier for us; however, it makes me think that our communication skills as Americans will decrease. We will be accustomed to working with technology that we will be reluctant to ever interact with a human; which in all actuality is taking place now.
ReplyDeleteI can understand why a lot of people would prefer an online alternative to physically going to the DMV to renew your license. The lines take forever to move and the environment always seems depressing. I'd much rather the convenience of having more services available to me whenever or wherever I am.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to say which is better e-government or face-to-face interaction. It is an understatement that e-governments have made it a lot easier to deal with problems. Several years ago I had to go to court for a ticket I had received. I had to take time off from work, drive all the way to downtown. Since navigating in downtown was hard for me I had to request the help of another as well. So, considering these other expenses you incur by having a face to face contact I would say that e-government would be easier considering you can do everything from your own home. Unfortunately, not everyone is comfortable with internet and therefore this may not be an ideal way for them. Also, sometime having a face to face interaction can answer questions easier and faster in comparison to doing everything online.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that the world is moving toward a more online and less of face to face activities. In my opinion that is unfortunate. I think human interaction is a necessity. We can send emails, texts and do things on the web. But, can we convey the right emotions the same way?
Sarah, thank you for posting such an educational, and entertaining, post. I personally am glad that we had E-government. This simplifies processes that once took hours at the DMV or court house. An example of this would be a few months ago I lost my license. Normally you would have to take your birth certificate or social security card to the DMV and wait for them to reissue a new license. However, today, because of E-government, I can log on and use my SS# and drivers license number to reorder a new license that will be mailed in 5-8 business days. In the meantime, I can print off a paper license that will suffice until I receive my new copy in the mail. I, for one, am happy to avoid the headache of a trip to the DMV.
ReplyDeleteI can see how convenient the technology brings to us. Since i moved to USA, i don't have to spend more time on traveling to pay my tax as i did in Vietnam. I can see how US government uses effectively technology. For example, collecting tax online is a good way to increase economic efficiency.
ReplyDeletePersonally E-EVERYTHING works better for me, I hate the lines and the time wasted. I work during the week, so if I have to go to the DMV or to pay my property taxes I would have to go in a morning before work since they aren’t opened on the weekends. The customer services sometimes is a hit or miss depending if the employee is having a good morning. E-government is very convenient for me when it comes to making payments even though in many case you pay a “convenience fee”, but if you calculate the time off from work added to the gas to drive then to find parking then to stand in line the fee isn’t so bad after all.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, I am a big fan of technology, but do believe in personalized services. It appears that as the demand for fast and efficient services increase, people are every day further appart from experiencing personal communication. Children and adults seem to live in a virtual world governed by virtual masterminds. I am glad for technology but frustrated to experience services out of touch sometimes.
ReplyDelete