No matter how hard Ray Martinez tries to fix the problems at the Motor Vehicle Commission, no matter how carefully he lays out his vision for reducing wait times and blood pressure readings of irate customers who are forced to punt a day of work (or vacation) just to get a license renewed, it will all come down to this: MVC employees.

They are, after all, the face (and the attitude) of the MVC.

So, with all of the promising changes Martinez is implementing, the MVC head also must combat knucklehead employees by clearly stating how branches are to be managed and how customers are to be treated.

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Training should be a priority, because all of Martinez’s efforts at public relations — visiting offices, schmoozing customers and taking surveys — can be sabotaged in a minute by one misguided employee.

Why have customers been forced to wait on line outside MVC offices in the broiling sun or drenching downpours, even when there were plenty of seats available inside? Because employees at some offices decided to create or rewrite MVC policy, keep the doors shut and allow in only a trickle of customers.

Grandmothers, handicapped drivers and cranky kids stared longingly through the windows at the empty chairs, chilling in the air conditioning — all because employees decided it was easier to keep ’em out, rather than toss ’em out when the day ended.

Martinez recognized the silliness: “There’s no reason our customers should be standing outside unless there is a health and safety issue, like a fire code issue,” he said.

The MVC can pour millions of dollars into computer upgrades, but what is a customer going to remember if the help is insensitive? Martinez can wisely consolidate closet-sized branches into roomier regional offices, but what good is all that extra space or a full-service menu if aggravated customers are steaming on the sidewalk?

The MVC has installed more cameras to hasten renewals, hired part-time employees, offered more seating, restored Monday hours, upgraded computers and vowed to move license renewals online by the end of 2012. These are all terrific, long-overdue ideas, if they shorten lines.

But customers have vented to The Star-Ledger about the disrespect they feel at MVC — a morale problem with workers, cops at the door, being treated as cattle instead of like customers.

Martinez must realize it’s not always about cameras and computers. Sometimes, at the MVC, it’s about the people behind them.