MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Starting Tuesday, July 26, the Shelby County Clerk’s Office will introduce its new service process to eliminate long customer wait lines
Lines stretching around the building during the hottest summer that the Mid-South has seen in years has been a constant complaint by customers waiting to be served at Shelby County Clerk’s Office locations.
With only a certain number of customers allowed in the building at one time, customers have been required to wait outside for hours or forfeit their place in line.
The clerk’s office has struggled to make the waiting experience safe and convenient for its customers while still trying to satisfy social distancing precautions set in place to slow the spread of COVID. There were even a few reports of customers fainting while waiting to be serviced.
With the office’s new process, only 15 to 20 customers will wait outside at a time. All other customers will sign in on a sign in sheet, listing their name and phone number.
Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert said customers will receive a phone call when it is time for them to get in line.
Halbert said staff will be outside to monitor the line, and signs will be posted to indicate where the wait line cuts off.
Customers who are present but are not serviced before closing time will receive a call or a voucher that will allow them to receive priority service on the next day.
Requirements to receive priority next day service.
As previously stated, customers who arrive before closing time but are unable to be serviced will receive a voucher for next day, priority service.
The office said customers must have their priority voucher to receive next day service.
Different locations have different closing times. At these locations, customers must arrive at these times to still be eligible for next day service.
- Mullins Station - Customers who arrive after 2:00 but still between 2:30 to 3:00…
- Whitehaven- Customers who arrive after 3:00 but still between 3:30 – 4:00
- Mullins Station - Customers who arrive after 4:00 but still between 4:30 – 5:00…
- Raleigh - Customers who arrive after 3:30 but sill between 4:15 – 4:45
Why are wait times so long?
Halbert said the office is fighting several circumstances that it cannot fully control at this time, stating that recent increases in new COVID infections, insanely hot weather, and limited resources available to staff members are all issues that negatively affect the office’s productivity.
“During what we are seeing as a new COVID surge affecting our team and customers, extreme weather, marginal resources, aged facilities, and safety of citizens and customers, we've worked on a temporary plan until the technology phase of the "No Line, No Wait" has been implemented,” Halbert said. “As we are continuing to look for new facilities better amenable to our customer base, once the technology components are in place, we are anticipating an appointment, call-in and/or text service to help better control the lines.”
The clerk’s office is overwhelmed with work, and staff members are still working to issue new license plates to everyone in Shelby County and in the state.
The office said with Shelby County being the largest county in the state, customers have been subject to the longest waiting lines, with some people being forced to wait for more than two hours at a time.
“Many don't want to stand in line while others refuse to leave the line," Halbert said. "For the safety of all, we can no longer allow the lines to continue,” Halbert said.
Faulty equipment that desperately needs to be replaced or updated has also extended wait times. The office has experienced constant interruptions and was not been able to provide online services for a while, which they say caused a back log.
According to the office, staff has issued 19,500 license plates through the mail in the last two weeks, with 5,200 still needing to be worked on in the queue system.
With all the challenges that the Shelby County Clerk’s office is facing, the Clerk said her staff needs time to catch up.
Because the office is so behind, Halbert said the clerk’s office locations will be closed for an entire week.
According to Halbert, completely closing the office was a method that worked well for staff members when they were overwhelmed with work and new COVID protocols during the height of the pandemic.
Halbert has not yet said what dates the office will be closed.
