Memo
To: Governor Glenn Youngkin
From: Dick Hall-Sizemore
Here is a sure fire way to become the most popular Governor of Virginia in history. It is two-pronged:
- Order all state agencies to eliminate the use of automated phone trees. The citizens of Virginia deserve to be able to talk to a real person when they have a question or need assistance;
- Ensure that all agencies have sufficient funding to hire enough people to answer the phones and assist people who call within a reasonable time.
I just tried to call a state agency for an answer to a simple question. I first had to negotiate a phone tree to get a central operator. That person referred me to a division within that agency. Upon calling that division, I had to listen for a minute or so while the automated voice tried to persuade me to deal with the agency on-line. I was then told by that automated voice to stay on the line if none of the on-line options were good for me. hen another automated voice assured me that my call was very important, but all their agents were busy and I needed to stay on the phone line. The voice said the wait would be about 25 minutes.
25 minutes!!! How is that possible in the middle of a Thursday afternoon in early June?
By the way, it was not DMV or the Virginia Employment Commission.
