Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2021 - 4

An Improved
Customer
Experience
by Timothy D. Schaeffer

Executive Director
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
As I begin writing this article, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission and Pennsylvania Game Commission are less than
12 hours away from turning off the lights on the first generation
automated license system that has been in place since we
transitioned away from the old manual carbon paper system in
2006. By the time you read this article, the new system will be live.
It is hard to believe that it has been over 14 years since we
all became familiar with the yellow licenses-now green-that
replaced the hand-written ones of the past (not sure my kids even
know what carbon paper is). Staff from the agencies have been
working non-stop with our vendor NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV) for over
two years to lay the groundwork for the new system to ensure that
it delivers the best customer service experience possible.
It has been worth the wait!
Rebranded as HuntFishPA, the joint licensing application
formerly known as The Outdoor Shop offers a familiar
but completely new experience, featuring a modern, userfriendly design that was created with the online user and
our statewide network of approximately 700 fishing license
issuing agents in mind.
The first thing that jumps out on the new HuntFishPA
homepage are the appealing seasonal photos and intuitive
graphics and links. The site certainly has a modern and pleasing
look that makes it clear it that is the place to get started on your
fishing and boating adventures.
If you have not yet purchased your 2021 fishing license, please
visit www.fishandboat.com or the mobile app FishBoatPA
to be directed to the new site and see for yourself. No more
straining your eyes and scrolling through lists to find what you
are looking for. After logging in or creating a new profile, simply
click on the category of items you would like to review in the
" Filter by Category " area on the left side of the fishing licenses
and permits screen.
Customers can more easily access account information and
do business with the agencies from their smartphones or home
computers. HuntFishPA integrates information into a single
customer profile. New customers will be assigned new customer
identification numbers (CIDs), while existing customers will
retain their current CIDs.
It is now simple to purchase annual or multi-year fishing
licenses and permits online and either save an image to a mobile
device or print it at home. Coupled with the fact that you no

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * March/April 2021

longer have to display
your fishing license, we
are certain that purchasing
and storing fishing licenses
on anglers' phones will
continue to grow in
popularity as a convenient
licensing option this year.
Online fishing license sales
in Pennsylvania tripled in
2020, and that number is
expected to grow in 2021.
Customers can now
elect to register for autorenewal of annual licenses
and permits and ensure
that they are never without
a valid fishing license
or permit. If users want
to reorder exactly what
HuntFishPA mobile page
they purchased last year,
HuntFishPA provides a
" quick order " process that will present the customer's previous
year license and permit information, as well as offering the
opportunity to add additional items to the current year's
purchase, if desired.
Customers are also able to purchase one- or two-year
launch permits online and print 90-day temporary permits for
immediate use. Unpowered boaters can log in, use their assigned
customer ID, and view launch permit information and their
fishing license status in the same location. Boat renewals can also
be completed through HuntFishPA, and that information will be
available for the user to review on their personal portal.
Customer e-mail addresses are now required and will greatly
enhance the Commission's ability to share information and
keep customers updated if they choose to participate. We are
especially glad to have this feature to share safety information.
Additional improvements for subsets of anglers include
integrating the Pennsylvania Saltwater Registry Program,
so users can seamlessly register with their license purchase.
Charter boat captains and fishing guides can also register for
and purchase permits online with a convenient and immediate
application and payment process.
I tried the system during its inaugural weekend, and it
worked great. I already have a multi-year license that is valid
through 2022, so I used the new system to purchase voluntary
bass, musky, wild trout & enhanced waters, habitat/waterways
conservation permits, and four new launch permits for our
family's kayaks. Each transaction went smoothly, and we are all
set to hit the water this spring!
Like any new venture of this magnitude, we are continuing
to make enhancements and improvements to the system. If you
have any feedback about your experience with it, please let us
know. We want HuntFishPA to be all it can be.
With outdoor recreation projected to boom again in 2021, the
new system will make it easier than ever to get ready to connect
with Pennsylvania's waterways.
www.fishandboat.com

http://www.fishandboat.com http://www.fishandboat.com

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2021

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