News Release Archive

BUSINESS/CONSUMER SERVICES--TELEPHONE RENEWAL SERVICE APPLAUDED
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The majority of Nova Scotians who renew their vehicle permit over
the phone are satisfied with the new service, a survey conducted
for the Department of Business and Consumer Services shows.

"The results indicate that 93.5 per cent of people who renewed
their vehicle permit over the phone rated the service as either
excellent, very good or good," said Sandy Jolly, business and
consumer services minister. "Even more telling is that 97.5 per
cent said they would use the service again."

The department launched an Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
system last September at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The IVR
enables vehicle owners to renew their registration over the phone
and pay with Visa or MasterCard. More than 310,000 vehicle
registrations are renewed each year in Nova Scotia.

"This survey shows that if technology is user-friendly, it can be
an important asset to improving customer service because people
will use it," Ms. Jolly said. "Our telephone renewal is
convenient for customers as they can do their business from
anywhere at anytime.

"Business and Consumer Services was created to improve access to
government services and transactions, especially in rural Nova
Scotia, and I feel we are making tremendous strides to fulfilling
that mandate."

The department is planning to open 14 multi-service centres
across the province over the next three to five years. The first
three will open this year in Kentville, Halifax and Dartmouth.

NBD Communications of Halifax conducted the survey in December
1996, interviewing by phone 200 Nova Scotians who had used the
IVR system in the previous two months. The survey is considered
accurate within six percentage points.

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Contact: David MacNeil
         Business and Consumer Services
         902-424-2933

trp                       June 6, 1997 - 11:50 a.m.