Since receiving this award we have enhanced our website by adding a new search process and a Calendar of Events.  The new search process allows the public to verify the licensing status of CPAs and/or CPA firms via our website.  The Calendar of Events allows customers to log into our website to determine the date, location and purpose of Board meetings, rules hearings, committee and other public meetings, and presentations by Board members or the Executive Director.  The Calendar of Events is hot linked to agendas, handouts, presentation materials, proposed rules, minutes, other sites, etc.

Prior to these enhancements, our customers had to call us during standard business hours to obtain this information. Customers now can go directly to our website.

Results

• Focus on "Instantaneous" and "Self Service" customer service.
• Provides 24/7 customer service.
• Increased public awareness of the necessity for, and ease in creating, an ADA compliant website.
• Reduced staff time to respond to customer inquiries, and prepare correspondence.
• Agency pride at being a leader out of the 54 states and jurisdictions in NASBA.

Postscript:

SECOND NATIONAL AWARD:  We are pleased to announce that in October 2001 we received a second national web site award -- the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy Web Award for Internet Excellence: Innovator. We received this reward as a result of our innovative addition of an "Exam Result" page to our web site. Now, instead of waiting from three days to two weeks to receive their exam results by mail, individuals can get their exam scores from a secure web page on the very same day the scores are released. Since over one-third of the people taking the CPA exam in Washington State are from countries outside of the United States, this vastly improves our customer service to our clients!