A lot of people roam the halls of the Secretary of the State’s offices. They do so, not by choice, but because everything they need is scattered across multiple offices on multiple floors.
But Susan Bysiewicz has a plan. And if her plan works, there are going to be a lot fewer stragglers around her state agency.
Beginning late last month, the Secretary of the State’s headquarters at 30 Trinity Street in Hartford unveiled a new centralized Commercial Recording Customer Service Center. That center, in renovated space, is meant to give business customers a place to get all their forms, licenses and data in one stop.
Bysiewicz, who has been Secretary of the State since 1998, said the idea to combine services into one center came about because of a chance encounter with a frustrated lawyer. The attorney, she said, called her to tell her he was mad.
He had visited the office with an elderly client, and had to make the client wait on the first floor while he went up to the third floor to pay the transaction fees. Not exactly friendly customer service.
Before being elected to her current post, Bysiewicz was a lawyer – and remembers her own frustrations using the agency’s services. Not many years ago all Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) statements were on thin paper. The Commercial Recording Division (CRD) was months behind processing them and large filing cans covered the floor.
“It was a big mess,” said Bysiewicz. “Banks did not want to give credit because they were unable to find out if someone had liens against them.” Today the papers are gone, and all the data are available online, at the Connecticut Online Commercial Recording Database (CONCORD).
A lot of the Secretary of the State’s information is now available via the Internet or other electronic services. Each year, roughly 300,000 people access the business data compiled by the state agency. But some 20,000 people annually make the trek physically to the offices. When they get there, Bysiewicz wants it to be easy for them to get what they came for.
The new CRD will enable businesses to save time by filing and paying their transaction fees at the same office.
After the five-month-long renovation, the customer service office re-opened as a full-service center. Customers can now do their filings, pay their transaction fees or do research on companies without having to visit several different offices in the building.
Better Service
Lesley Mara, Deputy Secretary of the State, who was responsible for the renovation process, said that the aim was to create a customer-friendly environment. There is also a handicapped accessible area, as well as a few pieces of furniture right outside the Customer Service Center so that people can make phone calls without other customers around them.
In a quiet corner of the office there are computers that customers can use to find information that is available online, at CONCORD. They can also print and copy all the documents they need. Many people visit the center because of the older collection of filings that are available only on microfilm. So there are microfilm readers and copiers next to the computer terminals to help their work.
CRD files and maintains legally required records related to corporations, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, and other businesses. It is also the filing repository of UCC personal property liens. As soon as the business and UCC filings are indexed in the CONCORD system they are available to the public. CRD is also responsible for authenticating documents and providing copies of any business or UCC filing, and also legal existence documents stating that a business is not dissolved.
The CRD is encouraging businesses to complete their annual filings online. All the necessary forms are downloadable, and applications for certificate of legal existence can be filed and completed online.
“Nonetheless, people love to come and visit us” said Bysiewicz.
