An organization report card

Over the last 2+ months I have been updating my address and name at various organizations. After a few frustrating experiences I decided I would like a place to share my experiences, and basically give each place a grade. I’m going to grade them on how easy it was to make the updates as well as how long it took.

Federal Government: A+
Say what you want about the federal government, this one was easy. I walked in with our wedding license and didn’t even have time to read one paragraph of the homework I’d brought with me before I was up at the counter. Two weeks later I had my new Social Security card in the mail. Super easy.

State Government: C-
Anyone who couldn’t take the federal government’s word that my name was different lost points. It took more than my newly printed Social Security card with them. It also took two trips because they didn’t list the license on their list of requirements when I looked it up on-line. And then they listed my name wrong. And when I pointed it out to them, they said it wouldn’t make a difference. Except it does. The state is going to have me alphabetized wrong. But they don’t seem to care. Which annoys me quite a bit.

University: C
First, they wouldn’t even take the form for the first two weeks of this semester. Which is weird. And means I don’t know what name my professors have me as this semester. But they did manage to get it changed. I had to email a few database people places to alert them to the fact that their database was changed. And then it took three emails to get them to realize that the fact that I’d provided a wedding license to alert them to my updated name meant they needed to update my marital status too.

Verizon: A
Super easy. Super nice.

Banks: B+
Credit card was easier than bank accounts. But I had to do them separately.

Qwest: F
This grade is interesting. I had Qwest internet at my apartment. So I wasn’t updating my name or address with them, just canceling the account. Which took more phone calls than I can remember, all of them with incompetent customer “service” people. If I talk about it too much my blood pressure is going to rise to deadly levels. Hopefully it’s only going to take a few more phone calls before it’s finally cleared up.

I still need to do my passport and a few other small things, but these have been the big ones.