P_M

UPDATE:

I was planning to call later this afternoon as the robot says it's best to call later in the day. BUT, I just checked the mail and guess what arrived?? I have never been so thrilled to receive a new passport in my life.

I'm still surprised the passport agency gave me the wrong confirmation number, it would have been better for me to have no confirmation number. But I forgive them now. I'm not so quick to forgive Bozo for not taking a minute of his day to put my mind at ease, but I will forgive him eventually.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend the rest of the day admiring my beautiful new passport.

WOOHOO!!!!

mrwunrfl

Karen, he was not a bozo.

mlgb was right in her post above

glad you got your new passport

P_M

So it was OK for him to tell me that if it's lost, I have to wait until 2 weeks before my travel date in September to find out what's wrong?

P_M

If you paid the expedite fee and the priority mail fee, would you have been satisfied with that answer?

sassy27

P_M I am serious. Please consider filling out that survey. While I am glad you received your passport, the customer service rep still should have looked into the wrong information the website was providing to you. Even if the person couldn’t do anything then why have a customer service phone number?

I worked the phone lines at a health insurance company. I left after a year and half as all I got was yelled at with no power to fix anything. Sure they could have given me more access to help but the company refused. I felt so powerless but could still log complaints.

P_M

Thank you for the reminder sassy, I just filled it out.

I don't understand how some people can think there was nothing wrong with such customer service and that I was the bad guy, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Gretchen

So where is it? Do you know yet?

P_M

Good morning Gretchen. I know this thread is a bit long but please see post #21 for the mega happy news.

joethebear

Oh Happy day! I was wondering if you could see where the passport had traveled by the outside envelope? The confirmation was just an incorrect number? SO how long did it take to get renewed?

schmerl

Great news P_M. So glad your passport arrived.

P_M

Jothebear, I don't know where it's been, I just know it's here now. It took 7 weeks with expedited service and priority mail. The root of my grief was the bad confirmation number, indicating the wrong address.

KTtravel

Yahoo!!!!!!!

Gretchen

Good news!! Whew!

mrwunrfl

That 2 hour, 15 minute hold was a clue that they have a poor customer service system. It means that they don't want us to call them and we are unlikely to get what we want.

>> He told me with great confidence that can't be the right confimation number.
Of course, he had to figure out what the problem was and maybe that is why you exercised restraint. For all we know, the rep might have said it was the correct confimation number for that application ID or pp# or whatever. But, he confirmed it was wrong. The question would then be: what is the correct confimation number?

>> He wasted more time arguing with me ...
I read that as you wasted more time arguing with him. He was unable to put your mind at ease because he didn't want to lose his job by not following the rules. Sounds like those reps are experiencing what sassy27 described. Probably including hang-ups - as if the customer wanted to punish the rep.

>> I will forgive him eventually

Well, that's good. Good for you. I would have taken longer to forgive "them", though that kinda does sound right considering that "them" is the system, the system that caused that rep to fail.

Reminds me of years ago when people would bash USAir on the Air Travel forum and elsewhere. I always felt that the people (FAs, GAs, etc) working for USAir were really good but the company just did not provide the means for those people to succeed.

P_M

I think his information was incorrect. I don't believe he would have lost his job by looking it up, nor do I believe that if a passport is misdirected, they refuse to look into it until 2 weeks before a travel date. If a passport were lost, it would be imperative to report that immediately so nobody else can use it. But according to him, there's nothing they will do until 2 weeks before my travel date. It makes no sense, and I believe a more knowledgeable or sensible person would have helped.

As for your ridiculous comparison to bad service from the airlines, at least we can take our business elsewhere. Such is not the case with the passport agency.

AJPeabody

I was wrong when I predicted you'd get it by Monday. But Tuesday wasn't too bad. And you got a human answering you, although in truth he had no answers. Life goes on.

P_M

I agree. AJP. I have 2 more trips planned this year and now I don't have to worry about this anymore.

sassy27

This is from their FAQs:

“Help! What Should I Do If:

My passport was "Mailed" but I have not received it.

If you have waited over two weeks since the date we updated your application status to "Mailed" and you have not received your passport, contact the National Passport Information Center. Customer service representatives will help you complete a special form (known as the DS-86 form) which is a signed statement that you didn't receive your U.S. passport.

You have 90 days from the date your passport was issued to complete the DS-86 form. After 90 days, you must reapply and pay all fees.”

So per the information you received when calling customer service was wrong. It does not say to wait 2 weeks prior to your travel. It’s 2 weeks after it was mailed to you. So I agree P_M you have every right to complain. You received wrong information twice and they should be notified of it.

I was very honest at my job and was told I shouldn’t be. Why not? I thought customer service was to help. We were graded on how many calls we took not the quality and that is simply wrong especially now, when there are so many issues with the US Dept of State. Why tick people off more? That is what happened in this situation.

P_M

Thank you sassy. Although it ended well for me this could help someone else.

sassy27

I agree 100%. People love to top old threads so I will close with something else I found, that may be of help if anyone else finds themselves in this same situation and worse, traveling in a few days. Courtesy of Reddit:

“Passport mailed to incorrect address - Locator 79 5/20: Application filed (expedited)

5/27: Application received at agency

6/23: Delivered to incorrect address

6/24: USPS attempted to retrieve, Resident returned to sender

6/28: Arrived at Houston passport facility

6/28: Contacted TX Senator John Cornyn’s office

7/04: Emailed DS86 form to Senator’s office

7/05: Form forwarded to Houston passport agency

7/06:

• 8am Contacted passport info line, told no appts available, can’t do walk ups. Only option to mail DS86 form
  
• 9:11am Contacted Senator’s office
  
• 10:34am emailed [email protected]. received auto reply.
  
• 4:52pm messaged US Dept of State Consular Affairs FB page, received auto reply.
  

7/07:

• 7am Called passport info line, one appt available in LA
  
• 9am Received confirmation passport will be reissued and overnighted per Senator’s office
  
• pending tracking # and passport in hand
  

7/09: flight departure 6:35am

ADVICE

• Call 877 passport line as soon as they open (7am cst) Reps and supervisors have no authority outside of scheduling appointments.
  
• US Dept of State phone directory (printed 2017) has some active phone numbers for agencies. The 2022 edition taken from their website lists “N/A” for all agencies
  
• Houston 79 locator does not have a phone number. Currently they are appt only. They have guards on duty at the building.
  
• Passports are printed until 3pm at agencies
  
• If you have to cancel/reschedule flights speak to airline supervisors, explain reason is due to passport and error delays. Depending on airline policy they may wave fees.
  

Good luck!”