Pennington County transforms high-volume tax and title services

About the project

Delivering faster, smarter taxpayer services in a high-volume, four-day workweek environment.

Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, the Pennington County Treasurer’s Office supports taxpayers with critical services, including motor vehicle transactions, tax payments, and title transfers. The office serves a high volume of customers with only four open days per week, requiring a solution that could address long wait times and operational inefficiencies.

Before implementing WaitWell in January 2024, the office relied on a single-file walk-in line, where customers often waited over an hour without insight into their expected wait time or service flow. With WaitWell, the Treasurer’s Office was able to reduce lobby congestion, optimize staff workload, and deliver a more seamless and accessible customer experience.

“Customers are now able to sign into the queue remotely and utilize their wait time elsewhere… They can sit comfortably or go run errands instead of standing in a line.”

Annette Brant,  Pennington County Treasurer

Overview

Reducing wait times and simplifying operations for both staff and citizens.

The Treasurer’s Office struggled with unpredictable wait times and no visibility into the types of transactions coming in. Services ranged from quick registrations to complex title issues, but without a queue management system, staff couldn’t prioritize or allocate resources efficiently.

Since adopting WaitWell, the office now uses real-time queue monitoring and transaction-type filtering to optimize staff scheduling and improve the customer experience. Visitors can check in from home, scan a QR code onsite, or be signed in by staff once lobby capacity is reached.

WaitWell’s impact has been especially visible during morning rushes—when the queue opens at 7 AM, the office sees over 90 tickets per hour, with title transfers being the most requested service.

“The ability to know what type of transaction a customer is here for lets us assign the right staff based on their training. That’s been huge for workflow.”

Annette Brant 
Pennington County Treasurer

Challenge

Handling high traffic and improving customer flow with limited physical space.

The office’s lobby only allowed a single line, leading to long, slow-moving queues. Without insight into transaction types or expected service durations, staff couldn’t forecast workloads or prepare adequately.

Frustration grew among customers standing in line for lengthy transactions, and staff couldn’t anticipate peaks in service demands.

Solution

Flexible queue management with real-time insights and remote check-in.

WaitWell offered a customizable platform that gave Pennington County complete control—no need to rely on IT for setup or changes. Customers can now join the queue from home or onsite via QR code, receiving text updates and wait-time estimates.

The office utilizes detailed reporting, real-time dashboards, and service-type separation to efficiently allocate staff based on daily demand. The integration also allows queue capacity limits, ensuring manageable flow and preventing system abuse.

Results

Improved taxpayer experience and operational planning

• Better resource management: Transaction filtering helps assign staff based on training and service type.
• Improved customer comfort: Remote check-in reduces physical congestion and allows visitors to wait in comfort.
• Data-driven decision-making: Reporting features help justify additional staffing during peak hours.

Streamlined operations: Morning queues are processed faster and more efficiently, even during peak times.