Due to an overly-busy life, I forgot to apply for a social security card for my youngest daughter, the baby. She’s 1.5 years and so I thought I probably should just grin and bear it and head over to our local social security office.
PS: Go here if you’re interested in other articles on Queueing Theory.
So, I got the youngest 4 kids ready and we went on an adventure to the social security office. I made sure that I had completed the social security card application at home and brought the necessary proof of identification.
When we got to the social security office, it was crowded. Then, right by the front door was a machine where one could get a ticket. Mine is below:
The ticket I got was K223. I asked one of the people waiting what number was just called and she said K211. Not bad. So, I decided to wait.
Psychology of Queueing
Based on my ticket, I knew that I was 11 people away from getting served. So, I made sure that I was aware and alert of the numbers being called. This tactic in queueing satisfies one of the principles in the Psychology of Queueing; namely,
- Uncertain Waits Seem Longer than Certain Waits
For me, while the time was not certain (I didn’t know how long I’d have to wait), I did know that I was 11 people away. But then something interesting happened. Instead of hearing “K212”, “K213”, I heard “9”, “10”. So, what is going on?
It turns out that “K” was for new social security cards and there was a different ticketing and numbering system for other services, such as social security disability and business licenses.
So, while the ticketing system satisfied one principle in the psychology of queueing, it violated another; namely,
- Unfair Waits Feel Longer than Equitable Waits
To some degree, the two different numbering and ticketing schemes added confusion for me. Eventually, I got used to hearing two different ticketing numbers and after 40 minutes, it was finally our time to be served.
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Sun says
The DMV in California uses a similar system. I learned quickly like you that the relevant queue was the prefix that started with K. It was almost like playing slots where you want the next K to appear to bring you closer to the goal.
It would be better if the queue was listed on separate screens or columns, so you have a better idea of the queue based on the type of ticket you received.
Wil says
While I haven’t experienced the SS office in quite some time, it is interesting that they are utilizing multiple queues. I would assume then that each queue leads to a team within the office that is well versed in the type of service needed. It’s actually a fairly good self-sorting mechanism for the inventory(parties requiring service). From the ticket you received, let us assume that you answered some kind of questions on a touch screen with a printer that then produced a ticket for the appropriate queue. It would have been nice if this screen could have explained the queuing process in a brief presentation. I also think it would be very useful to have additional information print on the ticket such as Queue size (in your case 11), estimated wait time ( 30-45 minutes). This would be fairly simple to develop and would give everyone a clear understanding of where they are in line and how long they can expect to wait.
It gets better, since the computer knows how many people are in each que, and the wait times (or average processing times for the people currently being served, aka WIP), we can see where bottlenecks are forming (lines are getting longer) and adjust the staff (which is cross-trained) to alleviate problem areas. The result would be that average wait times would decrease & customer satisfaction would increase (No matter how well you serve the guy that just waited three hours, he WILL be dissatisfied)
Sun says
In a business context the above comment works… When it comes to govt I see that benefits like as is inefficient while takin of money like tax collection is efficient. While ach takes three days, the IRS will cash your tax payment is two days by postal mail
Wil says
Sun, I’m not quite following your comment of 9/9. Sounds a bit like a back-handed complement for the IRS.
In any event, LEAN, & TOC have been proven to work in governmental activities over and over again. What is needed is more extensive application within government. In the Private sector we KNOW how LEAN can eliminate wasteful activities and streamline the flow of work. Doesn’t matter if you are a conservative, a liberal, or somewhere in-between, I think we all can agree that every facet of governmental service delivery could use some help eliminating waste and improving flow.
Sun says
Costco has one line for returns while they have half a dozen for checkout. My comment is non political, just an observation on efficiency based on whether an organization is taking vs giving.
dixichuk says
I secured an appointment at our local SS office to answer some Medicare questions, but the closest opening was 3 weeks away. I decided to show up without an appointment the next day. There were about 50 people ahead of me when I signed in. It took less than an hour to speak with a representative. A month earlier, I waited for and hour and 15 minutes beyond my appointment time for my eye doctor. It has never been less than 45. In another instance, after waiting 30 minutes to be called for my appointment, I waited 45 minutes prepped and undressed, in my doctor’s office for her to arrive. I spent 2 hours on the phone with Verizon trying to correct a mistake they made. Don’t get me started on the inefficiency and countless hours wasted with Comcast, UPS and most other customer service centers. My father’s eye surgeon appointments were the worst and generally filled about 3 hours after the set time. I found the SS office to be much more efficient at handling an erratic, varied customer load. Private corporations could take some lessons from the government.