Sticker Sales Up 12%, Overtime Down 21%.

City Clerk Susana Mendoza announced today that the changes she implemented this year to create smarter, more efficient and customer-friendly City Vehicle Sticker Sales have worked. The focus on providing new and improved purchase options for Chicagoans have put vehicle sticker sales ahead of last year by 12 percent, or about 76,000 stickers. In addition, City Vehicle Sticker processing efficiencies developed and implemented by Clerk Mendoza’s administration have resulted in a 21% decrease in staff overtime costs, saving taxpayers more than $15,000.

"Last year I took office on the first day of City Vehicle Sticker sales and immediately saw ways we could and needed to improve. I went to every sticker sale in each ward, talked to residents across the city, and met with front-line staff and our leadership team to identify ways to improve the customer experience," said Clerk Mendoza. "This administration committed itself to listening to ideas from residents and from staff to work smarter. That commitment is now paying off with more efficient services for the more than 1.2 million Chicago drivers who buy City Vehicle Stickers."

"From the beginning of my term, I made a promise to save taxpayer money while improving the customer experience. I'm proud that this year's sticker season to date has surpassed last year’s record," emphasized Clerk Mendoza.

As of June 30th, 681,965 City Vehicle Stickers had been sold, a 12 percent increase over the same time last year. Online orders continue to increase in popularity with orders up 8 percent. Mail order City Vehicle Stickers have seen a 21 percent increase. In person sales at City Clerk and Department of Finance Offices are up 2 percent. Sales at community vendors, including currency exchanges, increased 32 percent compared to last year.

Improvements and Efficiencies Made to City Vehicle Sticker Sales

• Extending Sales Period Additional Month to Shorten Customer Wait Times, Reduce Overtime: This year City Vehicle Sticker Sales started earlier than ever before. Online City Vehicle Sticker sales began April 23, a full three weeks earlier than last year. In person sales started May 1, one month earlier than the traditional June 1 start date. Traditionally sales had been packed into a six week period, resulting in considerable overtime costs and an inconvenience to Chicago motorists who would experience long lines and mail delays.
• Expanding Will Call Sticker Pick Up Program to Give Customers More Convenient Purchase Options: Last year’s successful test of a Will Call program was expanded this year to include online sales, giving Chicago drivers a new convenient option for purchasing their stickers to meet their needs. This was done in direct response to customers who worried that, if ordered online, they would not receive their stickers because of unreliable mail service. Now, when people order their sticker online they can choose to have them mailed to their home or pick them up at one of three City Clerk office locations. In addition, select Aldermen’s offices offered the Will Call service to their constituents, reducing wait times by allowing constituents to drop off and later pick up their sticker orders at the Aldermanic City Vehicle Sticker ward sale dates.
• Redesigning Website to Make More User-Friendly and Encourage Online Sticker Purchases: The entire City Clerk website, including the City Vehicle Sticker Purchase page, was redesigned. The new EZ Buy City Vehicle Sticker purchase application is more streamlined with easier navigation. In addition, based on feedback from constituents, it allows motorists to purchase multiple stickers in one transaction, a convenience previously unavailable.
• Providing Incentives at No Cost to Taxpayers to Increase Online City Sticker Purchases: In an effort to encourage online City Vehicle Sticker purchases, Chicago drivers who purchase their stickers online have the option of entering to win one of ten prize packages, all donated by Chicago businesses and sports teams. This is an expansion on a small-scale promotion implemented last year that received positive feedback from Chicagoans and helped increase online City Vehicle Sticker sales. Prizes this year include restaurant gift certificates, sports tickets and memorabilia, theater tickets and more. So far, more than 73,000 people have entered to win a prize.
• Creating an Interactive Sticker to Give Motorists Helpful Chicago Services: When Clerk Mendoza took office, she pledged to use technology to enhance the office and provide better experiences for customers. Using quick response code (QR code) technology, motorists can now access a variety of helpful services for Chicago drivers by simply scanning the back of their City Vehicle Stickers. The QR code takes drivers to a mobile website, v.chicityclerk.com, where they can: look up street cleaning schedules, determine if they are in a residential parking zone, buy daily residential guest parking permits, report a pothole, find a parking spot, find their Alderman’s contact information, pay a parking ticket, register their dog and contact the City Clerk’s Office. The mobile website provides an interactive experience for Chicago drivers and brings city services to them.

The cost of a passenger City Vehicle Sticker is $85 and larger passenger City Vehicle Stickers are $135. Senior citizens, age 65 and older, are eligible to receive one sticker for $30. Annual Residential Zone Parking is $25 and Daily Residential Parking Permits are $8 for 15 permits.

Enforcement of the 2012 – 2013 city vehicle stickers begins July 16. Failure to purchase and display a City Vehicle Sticker before the deadline could result in a $60 late fee and a minimum $200 fine.

To purchase a City Vehicle Sticker, residents must bring their driver’s license or renewal form and know their vehicle license plate number. In addition, this year’s City Vehicle Stickers contain the vehicle make and model as another security feature. A complete list of sales locations and more information about this year’s City Vehicle Stickers can be found at chicityclerk.com.