Secretary Benson, legislators visit Livonia, Canton where service is faster than ever

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and state legislators visited the Livonia and Canton offices today, two of the most historically busy offices where the average wait time for service was more than 90 minutes in November of 2018. Now visitors are in and out in an average of just 20 minutes.

"We are in a new, service-driven era and Michiganders who visit our offices are consistently and pleasantly surprised at how quickly and easily they are in and out," said Benson. "Office visits are easy to schedule online and by phone, or residents can walk up to any office and they'll typically be served immediately or helped to schedule a visit at a time convenient for them."

Benson has made numerous improvements to Secretary of State operations, including adding online services and self-service stations. Now the majority - 60 percent - of all transactions are conducted without an office visit. This is more than double the share of remote transactions in 2018, and part of the reason the offices run so efficiently.

"I was grateful for the opportunity to see firsthand how the visits and services at our Livonia SOS branch office have improved," said state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia). "I want to thank all the employees and Secretary Benson for this monumental effort."

"Improving the overall experience Michiganders receive when entering a branch office has been a cornerstone of Secretary Benson's goals. I appreciate the invitation to visit the branch office in Canton to see these improvements for myself," said state Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth). "Branch offices are now working more efficiently, and morale among the employees is very high. That's a win-win."

"I'm proud that Secretary Benson was able to meet with employees in our Livonia Secretary of State office to see how their creative and forward-thinking efforts have made our local branches more accessible to all residents," Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) said. "Secretary of State staff have been working so hard to relieve the stress of residents since the onset of the pandemic and should be commended for their people-centered approach. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Legislature to continue honoring the hard work of employees across our state by providing more resources to ensure smooth branch operations."

"I want to thank Secretary Benson for visiting Canton today to check on how well our branch is currently serving the public," said state Rep. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton). "On the ground conversations with employees and customers are what led to this successful operations model to begin with, and I'm glad this work is continuing to fine tune the process and ensure this work can continue. Visiting a branch location is now easier than ever before, and I look forward to the Legislature's continued partnership with Secretary Benson to provide better and more reliable customer service than ever before."

Residents can conduct most of their Secretary of State business online at Michigan.gov/SOS, where they can also locate their nearest self-service station, many of which can be found in Kroger, Meijer and other grocery stores. Office visits can be scheduled at Michigan.gov/SOS, or by calling 888-SOS-MICH.

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