OCTOBER 18, 2006

Government centers to receive
Self-Service Stations

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land today announced that the convenient Self-Service Stations are expanding to local government buildings as part of her Customer Service Initiative unveiled in August.

Government centers in Allen Park, Kalamazoo, Three Rivers and Wayne are the first locations to receive Self-Service Stations outside of the branch office environment. The stations allow customers to quickly renew their license plate tabs with the swipe of a major credit or debit card.

"The busy lives of today's customers require flexible access to government services," Land said. "Here we've forged partnerships with local communities to offer customers another way to renew their vehicle tabs without even setting foot inside a branch office."

Visitors to Three Rivers City Hall already have a new station, and the Kalamazoo station is expected to be operating on Oct. 30 at the Kalamazoo County Administration Building. Details for the others are being completed. Self-Service Stations may be added to other communities based on customer response.

The 28 Self-Service Stations now operating at SUPER!Centers and PLUS offices have proved popular with Michigan residents. Since their start in April 2005, the stations have logged about 69,000 transactions totaling more than $6.9 million. Additionally, most stations are in branch vestibules that offer round-the-clock access for added customer convenience.

Other components of Land's Customer Service Initiative include a call for more SUPER!Centers and PLUS offices, which feature expanded hours and services, as well as expanding the services available online so customers can skip the trip to a branch office entirely. Land also recently announced that customers will get the added convenience of being able to use a cash machine at 30 branch offices across the state as part of a pilot program.

Visit www.Michigan.gov/sos for more information about branch office locations and services, as well as other Department of State programs.