By jamie dougher
Staff Writer
JEFF GRANIT Jay Weiner, who took over at the East Brunswick DMV last winter, is working to improve relations between customers and employees.
EAST BRUNSWICK — In a state struggling to update its motor vehicle services agencies, Jay Weiner has his once-troubled branch ahead of the game.
The East Brunswick location of the Motor Vehicle Commission had been plagued with problems before manager Jay Weiner took the helm in late December.
A state investigation last winter revealed the Route 18 branch was the easiest place to obtain licenses with false documentation.
"Basically I wanted to stop the bleeding," Weiner said. "I was brought here specifically to stop the illegal acts that were going on here."
Weiner said there have been at least 15 arrests since he was transferred to East Brunswick last winter, not counting those people who have gotten away before the arrival of police.
"The word is out on the street — don’t go to East Brunswick anymore," Weiner said.
Weiner was asked by Diane Legreide, executive director of the state Division of Motor Vehicles, recently renamed the Motor Vehicle Commission, to solve the problems in East Brunswick after he achieved success at the Freehold branch.
A State Police report fingered the East Brunswick branch in the distribution of 722 out of the 800 illegal documents obtained at New Jersey motor vehicle services agencies over the last two years.
The MVC has plans to institute "Smart Terminals" into every agency in the coming months that will expedite procedures and make wait times shorter, while diminishing the chance that people could obtain false identification.
The terminals will record digital pictures and signatures of every motorist in the state so that if people present false documents that are not their own, agents can verify their identities by looking up pictures and signatures.
Weiner said it will be virtually impossible for anyone to fool motor vehicle departments after the new infrastructure is in place.
"Do (false documents) slip through? Yes. Will they continue to? No," he said.
The system also will place a law enforcement officer and a documentation expert in each office.
State representatives visited the East Brunswick branch Tuesday to show Weiner how the terminals would function in his office and where slight changes will have to occur.
Tom Bednarz, a manager with the MVC on the state level, said East Brunswick will have the terminals by the end of September, with the rest of the state following suit before the end of the year.
As a state, New Jersey is notorious for having outdated licenses that are easy to duplicate.
But Bednarz said that after the smart terminals are in place and new licenses are distributed, the state will have licenses that will be among the hardest in the country to copy.
"Sometimes it’s good to be last," he said. "You see everyone else’s mistakes and improve upon it."
Virginia Lisay, the head clerk at East Brunswick, said most customers have been somewhat understanding about having to receive photo identification because they realize it is for security purposes.
"Customers say, ‘Well, I didn’t need that before,’ and I tell them, ‘Well, we didn’t have 9/11 before. They’re trying to tighten up for your protection,’" she said.
Weiner said he had to terminate six employees in East Brunswick, which is about half the staff that worked there previously.
"We get compliments now from customers," he said. "Customers even bring the girls flowers. It’s a different atmosphere."
Stopping at the office Tuesday morning, South River resident Linda Razzano said she has noticed some changes in the East Brunswick agency since her last visit.
"There’s not a big line," she said. "It seems to be a little more streamlined. I haven’t had any problem with rudeness."
Weiner said that previously, East Brunswick’s management never took the side of the worker — and no matter how much customers yelled or if they used profanity, they still had their paperwork com-
pleted at the agency.
Now, Weiner said he turns angry or rude customers away and threatens to call the police, much to the approval of the employees.
"We took a lot of abuse," said Janice Bullock, an employee at the branch. "We’re polite to the customers, and (Weiner) expects them to be polite to us, too."
Weiner said some people can become aggressive when dealing with the employees.
"When I say the magic words, ‘How would you like to go to jail?’ their whole demeanor changes," he said.
The state has also instituted a program to train employees in dealing with customers, though Weiner said he believes the best lesson can be learned rather easily.
"You treat somebody the way you want to be treated. That’s the best customer service you can offer," he said.
But if managers are not providing their employees with adequate customer service skills, the state-regulated training will benefit employees, Weiner said.
"If they’re not getting it from their manager they have to get it from somewhere else," he said.
Craig Herbert, an East Brunswick resident, said the employees at the branch are all friendly and helpful, and he also has seen some improvements in the department’s procedures.
He said it is important to come to the agency with the mind-set that there is going to be a wait.
"If you’re looking to get out in two minutes, you’re in the wrong place," he said.

