Colleagues say Ray Shimmin’s professionalism, approachability and interpersonal skills — while providing excellent customer service — truly reflect the Department of Public Safety’s commitment to enhancing safety, building trust and promoting justice.
Shimmin sums his role up in one word: “Troubleshooting. A lot of troubleshooting.”
Shimmin, a motor vehicle business liaison for our Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) division, was honored in November with a customer service award from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). Shimmin is a liaison to deputy registrars, private businesses that partner with DVS to serve the driver and vehicle needs of Minnesotans. His responsibilities include support, oversight and training for not only the 170 deputy registrar offices around the state, but also law enforcement officials, dealerships and his co-workers.
While Shimmin doesn’t deal with customers directly, he plays a major role in customer service. Deputy registrars contact him if they need assistance with transactions like issuing titles or more difficult transactions.
“We’re helping them to help the customer,” he said. “If as a customer you’re not getting your transaction done right, you’re not going back.”
Shimmin has spent his entire career in public service. He’s been with the state for 26 years, first as a Minnesota State Patrol dispatcher, then as a commercial vehicle inspector and finally as a driver’s license examiner before taking on his current role. He’s also been a volunteer firefighter since 1991.
Colleagues say Shimmin goes above and beyond to foster relationships and assist offices when they need information or guidance. Business partners appreciate his ability to find answers where none seem available, and Shimmin makes them feel assured that they are not in these situations alone.
In his award nomination, one of the deputy registrars he works with praised Shimmin’s knowledge of relevant laws, adding, “Anytime I have some crazy issue with a record or transaction, he always helps us straighten it out. His knowledge of our system as well as all the rules we must follow is beyond reproach.”
Shimmin says he loves being there for support. He credits having good co-workers with a lot of his success, and says if he can’t figure something out, he will reach out to them and find out as much as he can so the customer can get what they need.
“I know the people at the counter are stressed out when they have upset customers in front of them, and it’s often nothing they did wrong,” he said. “I want them to know they can reach out and I’m going to help them any way I can. It might be something simple that I can take care of right away on my end, and then the customer will walk out of the office happy.”