USPS passport

[catjuggin]

So it’s time to renew passport. My wonderful wife helped me get all the paperwork together, I got my pictures and went to the main post office to pay my money and get the ball rolling. The signs directed me to the passport office down the hall which was closed and had signs directing one to the front counter. I walked up and there was only one other person getting stamps with another clerk.
My clerk asked if I had an appointment. I said no but I have all my paperwork in order She looked through and said all is good but I can’t help you because you don’t have an appointment. I looked around and there is NOBODY else in the building. So I wasn’t holding up anyone that may have had an appointment at that exact time.
So I asked how do I get an appointment? So my wife got online and made me an appointment for tomorrow morning at 8:15.
I asked her how long would it take for the appointment and she said , “ only a couple of minutes since you have everything you need and it’s all in order”

am am I shocked ?
no.
Am I angry?
Again no but let’s just say I’m disappointed

[Tysdad]

You don’t need any help renewing a passport. You can just mail in the application yourself, in fact the post office will not mail it in for you. So your disappointment should be pointed at yourself for not being able to follow the directions on the passport renewal application.

[Transom]

You must not have paid the union electrician his extortion money.

[fishin couillon]

My PO did walk-ins.....and if someone was there just wait in the hallway till you were next.....

[catjuggin]

You don’t need any help renewing a passport. You can just mail in the application yourself, in fact the post office will not mail it in for you. So your anger should be pointed at yourself for not being able to follow the directions on the passport renewal application.

Well smarty pants. Had you read more carefully you would see I’m not angry and if you read the instructions you would see if your passport has been expired more than 5 years it has to be renewed in person, but hey thanks for noticing

[Transom]

Well smarty pants. Had you read more carefully you would see I’m not angry and if you read the instructions you would see if your passport has been expired more than 5 years it has to be renewed in person, but hey thanks for noticing

Sound like someone’s wife read the instructions after all.

[Transom]

My PO did walk-ins.....and if someone was there just wait in the hallway till you were next.....

Some do some do not. It seems they space the ones that do out and they tend to be the higher volume post offices.

[bonecollector1]

Some of the bigger post offices take walk ins. Us smaller post offices you have to have an appointment.

[Charles Prestridge]

My Post Office had always been great for Passport (1st time and renewals). They have bent over backwards to help me. Never needed an appointment. Definitely, depends on the workers attitudes.

[Tysdad]

Well smarty pants. Had you read more carefully you would see I’m not angry and if you read the instructions you would see if your passport has been expired more than 5 years it has to be renewed in person, but hey thanks for noticing

then you are not really renewing your passport or you would be able to use the DS82. You are applying for a passport which requires a DS 11. Not all clerks are qualified to process passports, that is why the appointment is needed to ensure a qualified clerk is available. But it is much easier to take pot shots at your local post office than try and understand the process.

[bshort]

Some of the bigger post offices take walk ins. Us smaller post offices you have to have an appointment.

The PO in San Francisco is appointment only.

[BP in ME]

Welcome to the world of bureaucrats. If it's not spelled out that way in the SOP, it cant be done.

[catjuggin]

then you are not really renewing your passport or you would be able to use the DS82. You are applying for a passport which requires a DS 11. Not all clerks are qualified to process passports, that is why the appointment is needed to ensure a qualified clerk is available. But it is much easier to take pot shots at your local post office than try and understand the process.

Wow. You make my underlying point for me because the government employees are so ensconced in the rules of the very narrow window of work they are able to perform, that the idea of customer service is no longer anywhere in the conversation.
the clearly obviously was trained to do the work and there was no body in the customer lines. So she said come back with an appointment which I will do this morning at an even greater inconvenience to myself and my employees who will be waiting on me to start work late today.

[spinningreel]

Quit whining, ahh I’m special, I shouldn’t have to make an appointment like everyone else, don’t they know how special I am.

Get over it, your no better than anyone else. Make appointment, follow the procedure, be on your way, it’s not complicated & your not special.

[RazorCat]

Some of the bigger post offices take walk ins. Us smaller post offices you have to have an appointment.

Because, God forbid, you might inconvenience one of those postal workers who’s doing nothing in particular when no one else is in the PO.
Might cause an on the job injury by asking a PO employee to drop what they’re doing, switch gears, change directions, pull paperwork, or simply get off their ass to provide assistance on the spur of the moment. In the situation the OP described, someone should have risked being labeled a rebel by thinking outside the box and assisting him on the spot. The empty PO would have been fine for a few minutes. Appointment my ass.

[Bassman Ia.]

Sounds like they are taking lessons from our DMV office. No line, 6 employees behind the counter and I walk right up to the counter. This lady looks at me and in a 7th grade teachers voice says “ You need to step back out behind the yellow line “ I just step out, turn around and she says “Next”. It went downhill from there

[BP in ME]

Sounds like they are taking lessons from our DMV office. No line, 6 employees behind the counter and I walk right up to the counter. This lady looks at me and in a 7th grade teachers voice says “ You need to step back out behind the yellow line “ I just step out, turn around and she says “Next”. It went downhill from there

That or my personal favorite; go back to the front and take a number

[Mike_in_NY]

Sounds like they are taking lessons from our DMV office. No line, 6 employees behind the counter and I walk right up to the counter. This lady looks at me and in a 7th grade teachers voice says “ You need to step back out behind the yellow line “ I just step out, turn around and she says “Next”. It went downhill from there

This made me laugh because I had the exact same thing happen to me. I've gotten more patient as I've gotten older, but this one set me off.

[The Bass Junkie]

Again no but let’s just say I’m disappointed

The union clerks will do absolutely nothing more than required.....ever. I've seen things happen when I worked as a carrier that would make your blood boil.

[Bassman Ia.]

The union clerks will do absolutely nothing more than required.....ever. I've seen things happen when I worked as a carrier that would make your blood boil.

upload pics


maybe it’s the non union management