My 78 year old mother who is in heart failure and has difficulty standing or walking for extended periods called the office because she had never gotten tax forms for her father who recently passed away. The office told her they didn't make appointments, that she would have to come in in-person, and that service was "first come, first served." She asked the person on the phone what she needed to bring with her and carefully made a check list of all the documents they told her to bring. She went over the list again with the representative and said she'd be coming in the next day.
She got up at the crack of dawn to get there when the office opened. The waiting area was so crowded there were no seats and people were leaning against walls. She waited FIVE hours to be seen. During that time she said there was no functioning restroom available for those waiting, nor was there a water fountain.
When someone finally saw her and she mentioned the FIVE HOUR wait the person said "well we had to have two different staff meetings, so everyone was busy with that and couldn't help anyone." Then the person proceeded to tell her that she didn't have all the documentation she needed, despite having brought everything she was told to bring and that she'd simply have to come back another time. Finally they said they could mail it, but only directly to my deceased grandfather, at his last documented address--a house that has now been sold and the post office forwarding has expired for.
My mother then inquired if they even had the right address, as if they had mailed the tax form before, when the forwarding was active, she'd never gotten it. They refused to tell her what address they had on file, even as she stood there with all the paperwork showing her father is deceased and she is simply trying to complete his taxes for the last year of his life.
They were unhelpful and downright rude to a very sick elderly woman. She got home feeling terrible, light headed, with her symptoms significantly worse.
I understand the need to follow rules but there was no responsibilty taken for 1) the person telling her what to bring gave her an incorrect/incomplete list, 2) when she said she was coming in the next day they didn't happen to mention they were going to be spending much of that very day in internal meetings and not helping the public, 3) they really should have an ability to make appointments for the elderly and disabled so they don't have to wait in crowded waiting rooms without seats available for hours on end, 4) the general rudeness and complete lack of compassion or understanding from the staff, and 5) the lack of a functioning restroom.
I can't believe our very high taxes pay these people to abuse the public like this. read more