Take a Number: Revised check-in process improves customer experience at DSHS offices statewide
What if instead of calling clients’ names when it was their turn for service in our lobbies, we gave them numbers — protecting their privacy, increasing confidentiality and enhancing their customer experience?
This question, asked by an employee at the Department of Social and Health Services Columbia River Community Services Office, led to a pilot project called Take a Number, which launched statewide in December 2024 and has seen positive results.
“Customers report appreciating the increased confidentiality and understand the process of taking a number,” said Monte Constable, administrator of the Columbia River CSO in Vancouver, which was the first office to implement Take a Number. “Customers and employees also appreciate the new lobby monitor as it updates in real time and is easier to understand.”
The project was straightforward: A team of DSHS employees created a system to give each visitor a number that corresponds to their turn in line. Each client in the lobby can then follow along on a tracking board to see when their number is coming up without having their names publicly shared. The board also shows an estimated wait time. You can see how it works by watching this quick video.
Clients and employees were pleased with the improved process, so the team implemented the Take a Number project in all 48 CSOs across Washington state over the next several months.
“I truly appreciate the team’s commitment to customer service,” said Brice Montgomery, Community Services Division director. “Their dedication to our common goal and collaborative efforts have resulted in an innovative solution that enhances privacy and the overall customer experience.”
This work aligns with DSHS’s priority to advance person-centered services as well as the agency’s Economic Services Administration strategic priorities to incorporate employee insights and provide high-quality customer experiences.
Congratulations to the team of dedicated employees who worked together to make a great idea reality, including employees from community services, technology innovation, business project management and executive leadership. Washingtonians are better served because of this shared effort and innovation.
