If I could leave no stars, I would. I had a horrible experience at this location where two employees belittled me for a mistake and talked down to reasonable requests. I came here to apply for a passport with unusual circumstances. The manager cannot be bothered to employ proper customer service for one. He first offered a belittling opinion about the safety of the country I was going to, unprompted, which I replied with the research I did at the State Department. He decided to shake his head and cluck his tongue at me. Okay, agree to disagree, not my problem. The camera was not working, despite my appointment made for a picture, so they told me to go 'next door' to FedEx, Which was probably the only helpful moment I had in all this. I come back and made the mistake of asking about the price when quoted a price that did not match what I saw when researching. I admit I made a mistake, but I asked where this price was sourced since it was three times what I was quoted, and the assistant comes in and laughs, literally starts laughing in a condescending way saying "Oh, nothing with the government is free" when the manager turns around and says "either you pay this amount or you don't apply for a passport today", when I asked why the price was different. Okay, I realize I made a mistake, apologized, and got ready to pay when the manager slams a printout from the State Department down and says "this is it, learn how to google and research your plans". The card machine here never reads my chip, so to pay for all this I go to do what I always have done and swipe, and both of them raise their voices at me and say "insert!" and when I do, as I expected, it doesn't work. They blame me when this is the only place where I have to swipe it, and it works after about five attempts, each one where they fuss at me over again for my card not working. I noticed they charged me for a picture despite them not providing one to me. They then give me a money order and the manager starts telling me how to fill it out unprompted, as if I was a kindergartener. The assistant is watching at this point, trying not to giggle at me. I finally take the oath for the paperwork, and I also learn that despite wearing the same sweater and makeup in the picture as what you are wearing now, you can still be asked to swear in the most asinine and condescending manner if that person in the picture is you. I then left after asking and getting another snigger and exasperated sigh and annoyed attitude if a potential upcoming government closure in two weeks may affect the process. I may live in hte DC area, but I don't know at the top of my head the exact odd way the USPS fits in the federal government, but it's good to know that it was apparently an unreasonable thing to ask one week out of the three week long scheduled relief from the longest government shutdown in history would affect a trip I am going on in two months.
There is only one employee in this location that gives a damn about her job, and it is the older middle aged Asian lady here who has managed not to cite me too high rates and not laughed in my face when I ask a question. I was also given a blue pen to fill the paperwork out when the form says only black, then fussed at for having a blue pen. I've had this vibe more than once here, but today was a historic high for the attitude every employee here has that your time is not worth the same as theirs is, and you are lucky just to be allowed the privilege of coming into this sanctuary. I admit I made a misstep of my own or two, but being outright laughed at and treated like an asshole because I asked questions is the exact opposite good customer service. Unless you like being talked down to, enjoy dealing with sexist condensation (manager went from calling me 'ma'am' to 'miss' and treated me like a little girl and not an adult), and like having other employees stare and watch or giggle at you like a high school bully, I suggest Fedex. read more