What are some administrative tips that everyone US citizen should know when dealing with governments or public services?
What are some administrative tips that everyone US citizen should know when dealing with governments or public services?
Court clerks are super helpful and every one I have met has been friendly. If you have a question about your local government services go to the courthouse and find a clerk and if they don't know the right answer they can usually point you in the right direction.
Always have more than the minimum paperwork requirements if possible, just in case there is something goofy with one of them.
As someone who moved here and does not enjoy the same privileges that citizens have (i.e. renewing driver’s license online) and always has to routinely visit a government office, I see people all the time who come in to a government building with no prior research at all for what they need and be surprised that they can’t be assisted because they either didn’t have an appointment, or they don’t have the required documents. Meanwhile, I’m there with a folder full of documents as well as pre-filled-out and printed forms, and an appointment I booked 3 months ago.
Looking up something online at least a month before you plan to do a government transaction can save you a lot of grief. I’ll also echo what the other comment said to overprepare and always bring an extra document over the minimum required.
Reading the comment sections for some of those places online makes it tempting to want to abandon faith in humanity - people be out there saying things like "I didn't bring nothin but damn them bc they wouldn't help me out", and I'm like "bish, you want them to BREAK THE LAW!?" I get it, nobody'a perfect and I've made many mistakes, but why go online after the fact and brag about that!? 😜
I feel bad for the workers that have to put up with all the crap that isn't their fault. Even if the law itself were stupid, it's not like they personally wrote it or anything?! 😔
Similar with airline workers - they are so exhausted, and if you ever talk with them every single one has told me how they work not just double but as many triple shifts as they can. I don't fly often but when I do I try to reassure them that I get it - a computer issue or whatever isn't their fault.