Passport Customer Service

Yikes.  If you don’t have to, don’t ever call the Passport Customer service line.  They’re mean. Downright RUDE.  Hmph.

Let me explain the situation.  So, last year I got a new passport so I could go to Jamaica to get married.  This year, before we head to St. Lucia, I needed to update my passport with my new name.  Score! They’ll do that for free if it’s within a year of the most recent passport renewal.  Well, of course, being me it took about five months to get it together enough to actually send it in.  But I made the deadline, so whatever.  Then I got a letter in the mail saying they need a certified copy of our marriage certificate.  I’ll be honest, when I saw this originally, I thought it meant a copy of our certified marriage certificate.  I should have known better.  My confusion was heightened when no one knew what a certified copy even was.  So, after a confusing trip to the bank where Casey just swore they could make a certified copy, I called the dang number.

The lady who answered was not nice.  At. All.  She interrupted me and answered my questions like I was an incompetent five-year-old.  I’m usually super friendly and nice to every because of that whole “golden rule” thing, but this lady didn’t deserve it.  So, I was a little rude back (not as rude as she was, mind you).  Anyway, come to find out what they want is the original or copy of the original from the issuing agency (which is in JAMAICA).  So, all this to say I have to send one of my originals which makes me nervous.

Wow, this story is ridiculous.  Why am I even sharing this?  I can’t really remember where I was going with it but I have a point, I swear.

POINT:  Why can’t people just be nice?  Clearly, this lady at the passport call line has no reason to be nice to me.  It’s not like she’s getting commission or trying to keep a customer happy; I have no where else to go to get a passport, so they’ve got their customer.  Should that be our only motivation?  This relationship isn’t benefiting me, so I won’t be nice or try to cultivate anything.  What a terrible way to think. Maybe she was having a bad day.  Maybe she hates her job.  But, I have bad days.  There are days I think I hate my job (but I actually don’t).  I’m still nice to my students.  If we all expressed our emotions all the time, what an annoying place the world would be.  Teaching 9th graders you see this a lot.  People at that age tend to wear their emotions on their sleeve for everyone to see all the time.  Bless their little hearts.  No wonder people find 9th graders annoying.

Okay, this is my real point:  Be nice.  That’s it.  Just be nice.  Say things with a smile and a nod.  You don’t have to like people or respect them to be nice to them.

I’m done.  Sorry about this post.  It’s a mess.