Thought the DMV was bad.... They're worse. Was told I needed an in-person meeting for my mom, booked it two months out. Showed up and was told they "coded it wrong", so would need a phone interview since we didn't need to come in anyway, but wouldn't help. Booked the phone appointment a month out, no call. After 45 past the appointment time, calling to find out if anyone will call back, was told the agent "went on break" and might call later in the day. Apathy. No consequence for doing a terrible job. Everything you expect from the worst in government employees. read more

Spoke with Rosie at San Rafael office via phone call...she understood the issue, agreed that written notifications for SSA were poorly written. The issue was resolved in 2-3 minutes. Earlier in the day I went to the SSA office in San Rafael. The SSA employee who I met with was not helpful and had no interest. Told me since I was a walk-in appointment he had no time for me and I had to leave and make an appointment online. He was probably 60 years old/gray hair. His attitude is what gives SSA a bad reputation. Conversely, Rosie's attitude gives SSA a good name !! read more

I tried to get a hold of them over the phone. I was put on hold and never connected to the main offices. I went in person and was told I had to get a wait number and then talk to someone that would give me an appointment to come back to talk with someone again. Don't understand this system. All I want is to let them have me figure out how to login. I have not been successful with their new ways of logging in as I now need email address, password and a "QRCODE or "Key Code" and to install it in my Laptop or phone. I do not know how to do any of this. They have made it incredibly difficult for seniors to get help. read more

I went as a walk in, had a few folks ahead of me and got seen within 30 minutes. Only to be told that anyone who comes in as a walk in will not be seen, but rather will simply just be assigned an appointment date...and I was...a month later. a complete waste of gas/time and effort. Government entities are the most inefficient, poorly run organizations imaginable. this must be an awful place to work for someone who has pride in their job and any sliver of intellect. Sorry to be so harsh....but just tell people " no walk ins". awful. read more

Is it a requirement to be rude when they are hired? They are very rude and any question that you have it feels like it's an inconvenience for them. I thought they are there to help you not to punish you for asking. Never going there ever again. read more

A friend went to this location and was denied service because she was not a Marin County resident. The employee told her that the management wanted to serve residents of the county as first priority. There were only 2 other people in line at the time and she was only there to request a new card. When she asked to speak to the manager he never called one. She learned from her local office the following day that this is not a policy that is practiced by the Social Security office. Do better Marin Social Security Office! read more

This office (San Rafael, CA) is a disgrace. The "agent" taking the calls is completely uneducated and totally irrational and ignorant. She actually asked me for the social security number for a European. When I informed her that Europeans do not have social security numbers and asked to speak with a manager she started yelling and said that we did not qualify to apply for benefits, then slammed down the telephone. This was our fourth attempt to get help from that office for a US citizen to receive their benefits. That office is an outrage. We called the DC office to get assistance and they are handling it. That agent needs to be fired for hanging up on people, refusing to get answers to questions that she may not understand, and for refusing to get a supervisor or provide her name so a complaint can be filed against her. She is totally incompetent. read more

It's not Social Security's fault it's not AAA's fault but beware of the elevator here it's September 2023. I just took the elevator up to Social Security yesterday and it dropped while in transit while it was going up so since I've reported it to Social Security, security guard, and to AAA, and nobody cares, I contacted the county. Hopefully it'll get fixed soon. If you're squeamish about elevators, take the stairs read more

SECURITY RISK. beware you have to input your SS # in a kiosk where all people in chairs are watching you input, with their phones out. Possibly recording your numbers. Cover you hand from their view. Next SECURITY RISK: you talk on the shared phone line on the "Security Personnel's " desk to someone asking why u are there. You have this conversation in front of all people in the chairs facing you. Not in the privacy of the little rooms nearby Be careful. read more

I spoke with a nice lady who was very helpful. She followed through with my request and was kind and respectful. I give her 5 stars!!!!!

Still remembering the dreadful office of the Social Security Administration in downtown San Francisco, I was prepared for the worst, when I came to this location in sunny San Rafael: I had my original card misplaced and now needed to apply for a replacement card. I arrived on a Friday shortly after noon and was surprised to only find a handful of people sitting in the waiting area. I checked in at the terminal and then waited for my number to get called...which happened so quickly that I had barely opened the epic novel I'd brought, thinking I would make quite some advances! Cindy, the clerk behind the counter was great; not at all what I typically expect from a government employee. She took all my paperwork and when browsing through my visa noticed that I worked for Yelp. The tongue-and-cheek person in me couldn't help but saying: "Yes indeed...and let me tell you, the Yelp reviews of this place ain't good at all!" Expecting to be reprimanded or at least evil-eyed, I was then delighted to hear her equally tongue-and-cheeky response: "Well, the good thing about bad reviews is that customers stay away and we could certainly use smaller lines on certain days..." I thought this was brillant and to me this deserves a fabulous review. Thanks, Cindy, for restoring my image of the civil servant! read more

Social Security - My ticket - Public Services & Government Near Me - San Rafael, California

After a prolonged wait time on the phone with Social Security and an inability to establish an on line account, I decided to "bite the bullet" and visit the Social Security office on Smith Ranch Road. What a delightful experience. I arrived around 3:15 to an empty waiting room. I met with a representative within minutes who answered my questions and set me up to get my on line account established. They have private work stations you can use. When I got stuck, two wonderful technicians helped me navigate the system. They even helped me better understand some benefits I wasn't aware of. Divorced ladies check in regarding spousal benefits!!! The entire visit was a pleasure...Who knew a government run office could be so efficient. Kudos to the entire crew. read more

Heads up, this office has moved to the AAA building (second floor) at 99 Smith Ranch Rd, San Rafael, CA 94903. It's NOT clear from the parking lot entrance, but it is evident when you make it up to the automatic doors. Go up the stairs or the elevator and into the waiting room that makes DMV look like a breeze. Check in at the electronic kiosk which captures what you're there for, asks you if you have an appointment and what your SSN is - this should be the only check in, right? WRONG. Wait a half hour or more for your number appear on the screen, talk to a person at one of the cubes for 30 seconds, and get ready for this line "Okay, please go take a seat again and wait for your number to appear again. You have at least 11 people ahead of you. There's no way to make an appointment for a future date." At the very least, the lady at the window today was somewhat pleasant, listened to my concerns and gave me a tip for better times to visit. When I called ahead of time this morning, the man over the phone was very annoyed with my questions and wouldn't tell me a good time to come in - it was obvious he hates his job. The others in the waiting room today were a mixture of toothless heavy smokers and people with horrible colds, coughing over my shoulder. Not only did I really not want to wait another half to full hour, I had to get back to work. Will try again tomorrow. Update: Went in at 8:56am just before opening and was still behind 8 people in line. Waited for 50 minutes before being called to a window for check-in (the man there was very sweet and helpful) and was then asked to wait again, but that I only had one person ahead of me. It turns out the person ahead of me had a MILLION "what-if" questions, so I wated another 35 minutes before I was called to the same window. Getting my paperwork done and a receipt was painless. They only had 2 people working today, so the wait was unavoidable. Just glad to have my new name on file finally. read more

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I've had nothing but good experiences here and with the SSA in general. After hearing horror stories, I realized that it is important to read through their information and make sure whatever forms you'r filing and correct and in order. Keep copies in case things get lost. My initial medicare app went without a hitch. I've needed to file IRMAA appeals for the last two years after I left my job, because my income had gone down but they use the tax return from two years before to estimate your IRMAA payments. Both times I filled out the forms with supplemental info, placed them into the yellow envelopes and deposited the envelopes in their SSA mailbox at the office. The second time, I did not get a letter or answer, but I called and the person was able to locate the letter and approve the appeal right no the phone. It's a good practice to be polite and patient with SSA workers, who I think don't have the easiest job but do work hard to help. I really appreciate this office and SSA! read more

Ive worked and filed every year of my life since age 14 and finally I get the social security I deserve,. the fact that by age 60 I filed taxes 40 plus times, so this means when my ex husband died, we were married 10plus years, so Im eligible and meet all the criteria for getting half of my ex's Social Security. The interviewers, 2 different people, on 2 different occasions make me feel intimidated. Why do I have to be intimidated? The first girls behind the counter was black, the 2nsd interviewer was hispanic. I am white female, do you think what I think. Ive experienced this in every profession. The position at the SS office is one of service. Why do they feel they need to intimidate me? This is not my imagination either. This attitude and behavior is consistent through out my experience in life. They are also telling me that I MUST keep working and practically made me sign an agreement that I must keep working and reporting taxes, Im 60 years old.......Go figure. BTW I have a degree in Human Resources and know the proper behavior. read more

I got there early with no appointment and it went smoothly with no problem at all. The staff was very professional and moved a lot of people through in a short time. 5 stars for their service. Easy parking too. read more

I had a good experience. Went on a Thursday afternoon, courteous staff, no line-ups. I was called soon after I got my number, and the whole transaction was quick and easy. The only downside was that it was a little hard to find the place, it is on Lootens Pl and corner of Fourth Street, where it says the large letters "900" because its alternate address is 900 Fourth St. There is an entrance on Lootens; take stairs to third floor. read more

To make another follow-up appointment, the online hold time would be more than an hour, so I decided to just "drop in" to the office. When I saw a lobby completely full of people, I thought better of it and walked out. Much to my surprise, the security guard followed me to the elevator to see if he could help me. I told him of my two months' frustration and he suggested I return an hour before closing time. He said the crowds would be cleared out, and I might get seen pretty quickly. Sure enough, later the next day, I returned at 3:20 pm, and I was one of four people in the lobby. I was seen after a short wait, and the man who processed my forms was super efficient. My issue was simple, I was prepared, and I was out of there within twenty minutes or so! This might not work for everyone, but if you have something concrete to take care of, dropping in late in the day might be an option. It's NOT recommended the first few days of the month though. read more

After being lied to and mistreated here...I called... how long after ...hours or days don't remember. All I recall was the mocking of the personnel at the office and the woman on the rights line telling me that I would be retaliated against "likely" for complaining that I was disabled and unbearable pain. I am still posting this much. Wish I knew my local judge's name but I don't remember anything about hearing but it was a she and I was confused. read more

You cannot schedule an appointment at the location- the phone # listed takes you to the phone "tree" of social security and you can either be on hold for 30 minutes or get a call back that only offers a "phone appointment " at a MUCH later date- after I scheduled that appointment I then got a call from a guy in the SR office asking if I had a phone appointment for that day!! I said no ( dumb on my part ha ha) but asked to talk to him right then- he said " no I'm down to 1 minute" Really bad service read more

Arrived for my appointment, checked in at the kiosk, and was called within ten minutes in spite of the lobby being fairly full. Parking was plentiful; the spaces near the entrance are reserved for AAA. read more

Unfortunately this office is an example of what a government "service" should not be. Currently they only accept appointments for urgent issues. I understand this. They do not, however, answer their phones. When I finally got past the almost unending busy signal and navigated through the menu the phone was picked up and hung up. I have yet to be able to speak to anyone to get an answer to a 30 second question, which according to the website must be done in person or by mail. All that I'm trying to find is here to mail it. Apparently, by the reviews, this office is incapable of handling COVID. read more

I made three visits to this office. Each time the employees were professional, helpful, thorough, and friendly. I felt well taken care of. Be prepared to wait in seats that are not the most comfortable. I suggest that you bring something to read. But the office environment was clean and well ventilated. read more

I was told to drop off some paper work for my social security benefits. There is no way to make an appointment as there is at other Social Security Offices. There was no place to drop off my papers so I tried to ask the security guard who sits at an elevated dias with a piece of cardboard in front of his face. He said he didn't answer any questions. I waited about an hour, then I had to leave. Why can't people make an appointment like other offices? Why are these Social Security employees so rude and angry. read more

Had a terrible experience at this office above AAA building in San Rafael. It was about 11:00 in the am. All I wanted to do was to bring in some paper work to the employee who called me over the phone. He said I just had to walk in and give the paper work to the person at the booth. Ha. After waiting for an hour I saw an employee at a booth who took my driver's license to check me and and said I have to wait for the person who called me to come in to make sure everything is approved. So I waited for another hour and finally got called by a different employee who took my paperwork and photo copied my driver's license and said that is it. Why couldn't the first employee just do that? This place is convenient but that s the only good thing about it. read more

I normally do not give bad reviews, but this place is by far the worst run business. To start off it took me about three hours to see someone about a problem that took six minutes to solve. Secondly, I the security guards there are incredibly rude to everyone. Lastly, the atmosphere of the SSA is that of the DMV and a run down hospital combined. All in all there are changes that need to be made! read more

I so agree with Winston's sentiments below. I tried to submit paperwork regarding an appeal for disability to the receptionist. I had questions but she said I should just MAIL my form in the enclosed address. I persisted in saying I needed to speak with one of the specialists behind the locked doors. She relented and I waited more than an hour. Once I got in the back room with a specialist, he informed me that the SSA had mailed me the wrong form. I ended up spending an hour being interviewed and asked questions I had been asked before. If I had not been able to get past the receptionist, I would have been lost in the system for more than 3 months. read more

Tried to make an appointment via phone. Was told my wait time to talk to a SSA bureaucrat to make an appointment was 1 hour 15 minutes. WTF, are you kidding me???? Apparently you can't make an appointment on line. Even the CA DMV, which is no poster child for efficiency, allows you to make an on line appointment. The SSA is a bloated bureaucracy that is living in the stone age. Only option is to drag ones behind down to their office take a number and wait just like at the deli counter. What a way to run an agency that has an annual operating budget of $13.1 billion. It would be funny if it wasn't outright embarrassing an incompetent. read more

What a pain visiting this place.. horrible depressing experience. First time I waited almost 2 hours with my 1 year old daughter, we stepped out to the bathroom to change her diapers, ( no more than 3 min) and of coarse they called my number at that time. The clerk woman was super rude and pointed me to take a new number and wait another 2 hours! Ok, but that's not all, after reviewing all the documents, she said that I need some additional papers.. ok, the next day I waited another 2 hours just to talk to the same rude incompetent person, who told me that it will take up to a month for my daughter to get her SS#. Today, 3 MONTHS LATER!!! I got mail from the SS office saying that I they will not be issuing the SS# because I need some additional papers. The letter DID NOT specify what papers and the clerk did not told me that I need additional papers. Now I have to go AGAIN to this depressing place and waste another 2-3 hours of my time.. Enough said read more

I went to the office a half hour before they open. I was the third person in line since I was unable to schedule an appointment. It still takes a while since you electronically sign in. Then you have a preemptive meeting where you tell them what you need. Then you wait to be called to process your request. All in all it went very smoothly and Cindy who took care of me was very pleasant and accommodating. The whole process took about an hour. read more

This place is the opposite of what you expect of a government office, in the best possible way. The office itself is clean and sunny, parking is easy, and checking in is very simple. Everyone there is friendly and professional, and they all seem to be working to make things easy and efficient. I went in right at 9am (when they open), and there were only a handful of people there. They opened right on time and started seeing people immediately. I was changing my name and I was in and out in 20 minutes. You read that right, TWENTY. I live in San Francisco and have heard horror stories about the office here, going to San Rafael is definitely worth the short drive. read more

The security guard said Tuesday and Wednesday is the best day to come. Just note that they close at noon on Wednesday, though. I went on Tuesday at 9am sharp and there was already 7 people head of me. You check in at the entrance on the computer, then you wait for your number to be called. That took me about 30 minutes. Then you "check in" again with the clerk (even though you have an appointment, which I did not). Another 20 minutes went by and I was out of there within an hour. Employees were pleasant and helpful. Bathrooms were clean. read more

I went without an appointment at 10:30 on a Thursday and only had to wait for 30 minutes. Everything was efficient, and the two employees I met with were friendly and helpful. read more

Visited this office this am to sign up for Medicare Part B. Max of 20-30 min wait and perhaps 3 to 4 of actual transaction time. Was helped by finding their direct telephone number here and calling beforehand to make sure I had all forms and information and confirming that I could not do online (as signing up at 68 after retirement six months ago). A couple of phone calls to this office had moderate waits ( 1 to 10 Minutes) with courteous, helpful, accurate information. read more

I just spent 20 minutes waiting on the phone trying to reach the SR office to re-schedule an appointment. Their phone system constantly switches between the woman telling you that they "appreciate your patience" and horrible scratchy, speedy elevator music. They switch about every minute, so you think it's the representative, but it's answering lady leading you on again. You'd think that this govt office could have a decent answering system, maybe one that takes your # and calls you back, or that tells you how many minutes you might be waiting!!!! I waited so long, ans. lady finally came back and said let me try to connect you to a rep., and then the phone rang and rang and rang, because it was closing time!!!!! But they are the ONLY game in town. I'd say this is customer abuse. Hope I can get thru tomorrow. read more

Winston's update... we went to the appeal hearing in San Francisco, the home location of the SS recipient. There is a hearing officer, but because we did not want to do it by telephone, this took at least 6 months t8 arrange because a woman calls you with the times available, and by the time you call your client and get back to her, times are gone - wait another 3 months and then the judge was in vacation for the month of November; add in that the receptionist never answers the phone, so it is a three day ordeal to get the date (or not get the date). When we got to the hearing, the hearing officer never received the documents and summary argument I faxed in some 6 months prior, so he also didn't read them. I had an extra copy, so we moved forward. We got a ruling against us in the end and the hearing officer cited the wrong information in his writtem ruling. We decided to give up. Sadly, my client had killed himself over this and his frustration with the ss system. I was at this point, representing the family. In short, if you need something simple, like a SS card ir name change, fine. When it is a big life-changing event, like benefits, you really cannot do this yourself and the system is broken. The rudeness of staff just compounds the ploblem. read more

Fast, friendly, efficient. I didn't have to wait more than 20 minutes to get served (and I came in right before noon). And the person helping me never made feel rushed, and was able to explain everything fully. read more

This office is very small and there are always people waiting. One has to wait for hours. Worst still, there is a security guard who has no sense of politeness or privacy who always shouts at people and asks very loudly about the intention of their visit. He speaks so loud that everyone in the office could hear about everything, including private issues. He should be transferred to other duties like building security guard at night. read more

We had a wonderful experience this morning. The security gentleman was very informative and attentive. We applied for social security online and was given assistance when we had problems logging in because we forgot our password. They answered all our questions. The whole process toke less than an hour. The restrooms were very clean and tidy. Great job!!!! Thank you. read more

Made an appointment three weeks in advance, still waited over an hour. Clerk at the window was insultingly rude and obviously unaccountable to any supervisor. Worker who finally helped me with retirement questions was shockingly arrogant. Customer service? Hah! Both of these people would be fired immediately in the real (civilian) world. This organization is terribly, inadequately managed-and worse, we the taxpayers, are paying for it! read more