This award is presented to jurisdiction individuals who have excelled in customer service delivery in a call center or on the front line of motor vehicle administration.
This is an individual award and is awarded one per each region and among those, an international winner is selected.
Each agency may submit only ONE entry.
Criteria for selection:
Francisco Lanzas, a bilingual contact center agent at the Riverside Contact Center, is recognized for his outstanding contributions to customer service. Francisco is dedicated to creating positive experiences for customers and has an exceptional work ethic. He consistently demonstrates extensive knowledge, professionalism, and a commitment to going above and beyond in resolving customer issues and answering their questions. His dedication to excellence is unwavering, making him a standout employee. Francisco excels in assisting both English and Spanish-speaking customers, earning an impressive 4.9 out of 5 customer service score, based on more than 1,020 customer surveys in 2024. Customers consistently attribute Francisco's high rating to his extensive knowledge, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to going above and beyond to resolve their complex issues and answer their questions.
As the Registry of Motor Vehicles Ombudsman, Frederick Apel plays a pivotal role as a neutral advocate and intermediary between the general public and the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). His primary responsibility is to ensure that customers' concerns, complaints, and inquiries are addressed fairly, thoroughly, and impartially. By directly engaging with customers who encounter issues, Fred provides a dedicated channel for resolution outside of traditional customer service routes, often focusing on complex or sensitive cases that require specialized attention. His knowledge of the agency’s practices allows him to quickly identify the customer’s needs, set realistic expectations while at the same time remain empathetic to each of his customer’s cases.
Jeremy Spencer has done exceptional work in enhancing customer service and operational efficiency within the contact center. He's worked to improve the customer experience by optimizing the center’s workflows and increasing the call-answer rate. This benefits customers, providing faster and higher-quality service, and contact center employees, by creating more efficient operational processes. He conducted a comprehensive analysis of existing workflows to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. With a customer-first approach, he designed new processes that targeted a major pain point: blocked calls. Jeremy restructured call-routing protocols and introduced optimized scheduling to align staff availability with call volume patterns.
As a Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) State Program Administrative Tech Specialist, Ray Shimmin provides excellent customer service to both his internal and external customers. His responsibilities include operational support, oversight, and training to DVS business partners including the 170 deputy registrar offices around the state, law enforcement officials, dealerships, and his co-workers. Ray’s work is reflective of the Department’s commitment to working with our business partners to enhance safety, build trust and promote justice. Ray efficiently and effectively responds to business partner calls for guidance and assistance with difficult transactions occurring at the front counters of county, city, and corporately owned offices. Due to his professional manner and listening skills, business partners view him as an authority on all procedural questions. Throughout his 25 years of state service, 10 years with DVS, and his work as a volunteer firefighter, Ray’s commitment to serving the public and desire to help people is very evident. Ray continues to provide excellent customer service to all Minnesota residents and our business partners.
