PENNDOT WEBSITE ERROR CAUSES ISSUES FOR PERRY COUNTY
RESIDENTS - ALSO NEW BLOOMFIELD PA AUTO BROKERS ARE RUDE AND UNHELPFUL
State Representative Keller:
Recently I tried to do the simple task of getting my
driver’s license photo updated. I have
my camera card in hand so this should be an easy task. Unfortunately that was not the case. This email is to inform you of a few things
that went wrong with hopes your office can take measures to fix the issues. Because everyone I contacted doesn’t want to
take ownership of it or do anything fix the issues. It seems everyone I was involved with is ok
with just accepting it as it is and not care that this misinformation causes
unnecessary hardship on individuals, especially those in Perry County.
Per my camera card I went to PennDOT’s website to locate a
driver’s license photo center. When I
search using my zip code of 17047 (Loysville) or search by county (Perry). I'm directed to go to New Bloomfield PA Auto Brokers Office, however they are NOT a photo center.
I called and left a message at the above on Friday, 8/29 and
because it wasn’t return I did so again on 8/30. I wanted to confirm that they would be open
on 8/30 because of the holiday. Since I
never got a return call, I decided to stop in during posted hours on 8/30. As soon as I entered I was informed by a very
rude PA Auto License Broker employee (Snooty boy wearing sweater vest in
August) that the above location is NOT a photo center. I explained that according to the PennDOT
website it is and that I left two messages before arriving, noting that if
someone would have taken the initiative to return my call I could have saved a
trip. I then asked where the closest
Photo Center is. The rude employee then
told me in Duncannon. I asked if he
could give me their number so I could call them to see if they are open. He replied, “their number is unlisted.” I said, “yes, I understand that, could you
please give me the number or call it for me.”
He again said, “the number is unlisted.”
I replied, “but you have the number don’t you?” He then said, “the number is unlisted that is
all I can say”. I was obvious to me by
his tone and his words chosen that he had the number and just did not want to
be helpful. This employee put more
effort into not being helpful than what it would have took to be helpful.
So I ended up driving to Duncannon, only to find out that
they were closed.
Later, I search on PennDOT’s website some more. I find it interesting that the Perry County
Photo Center in Duncannon cannot be located using PennDOT’s website using Perry
County or Zip closes to me feature.
Heck I even typed in Duncannon’s zip of 17020 and it sends
me to the PA Auto Broker’s in New Bloomfield where the snooty sweater vest boy
works. So using Duncannon’s zip code
doesn’t even find Duncannon!
I find it disturbing that:
A. PennDot’s website is wrong listing New Bloomfield as Photo Center and doesn’t even locate the proper location in Duncannon.
B. That the snooty sweater vest PA Auto Broker employee stated he and his employer is aware of issue and don’t seem to care, and make it a point not to be helpful when the error cause citizens of Perry County problems/issues.
C. That the Duncannon Photo Center number is unlisted? Per snooty sweater vest boy.
I posted my distaste for the PA Auto Broker’s in New
Bloomfield on my Facebook page. Within
an hour I had at least 6 others express similar issues. With that said, I think the contract the
state has with them should be pulled. I
also hope you can use your office to get PennDOT to fix their website to save
others from the awful experience I had.
Many thanks,
Timothy N. Kuhn, M.S.I.T.
P.S. Please feel free to contact me.
Hmm, well I just went to the website myself and tried it. If I search for a "Photo" center the Duncannon location comes up right away, in fact its the only one that comes up. If I search for a "license" center, Pa Auto comes up. The duncannon location only comes up for photos because they are the only one in Perry Co that can take your photo. Pa Auto comes up as a license center because that is what they do. They can renew your DL but not take you picture. Nowhere on PennDOTS website does it say that PA Auto can take your picture.
ReplyDeleteMaybe my phone call initiated them to fix issue. Still never going there again. Employee was very rude. He wasn't even busy. I must have disturbed his nap time or internet surfing time.
DeleteI also find it interesting Julie Shannon (PA Auto Broker Mgr) that you don't bother inducing yourself as such when posting. And you don't seemed concerned about having rude employees.
Deletehttp://www.manta.com/c/mm6t3mf/p-a-auto-license-brokers
ReplyDeleteI did not post anything as the Co. I posted as myself. Unfortunately the website has not changed at all. Its always been this way. It is VERY easy to misunderstand. 90 out of 100 people will misunderstand it. We get this a lot. This is why we have signs all over the office stating that we do not take pictures. I would be more than happy to discuss anything further that you may wish to discuss, offline. Please feel free to either stop in the office or call me. I am here Tuesday thru Friday. Julie
ReplyDeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteI will be in touch thank you. When I contact your office I would like to discuss 1. the behavior of staff when this common error occurs, 2. the fact that I did not rec'd a rtn call to my 2 msgs. left. Had I rec'd a rtn. call I would not have wasted a trip.
PennDOT's issue to resolve is a poor website design. I clicked on a hyperlink that stated "photo center" which then had me fill out criteria that did not locate a photo center. I also paid a renewal fee, yet it appears I should not have search on renewal, even though PennDOT considered it a renewal when I paid for it to receive my camera card. Perhaps your office could somehow persuade PennDOT to fix website.
Perhaps your office could add to recorded message that your site is not a photo center. The posters only help once someone is already at the front door.
I will be in contact with you, perhaps this afternoon or tomorrow at some point.
-Tim
Thank you Mr. Kuhn. I am looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: Spoke to Julie Shannon (Mgr. of PA Auto Brokers New Bloomfield). She apologized for behavior of sweater vest boy and will handle matter. She liked my suggestion to add message "we are not a photo center" to the recording when calling in. She stated she will make sure that happens, she said, "that is actually a really good idea and should help a lot." She stated the owner will continue to try to convince PennDOT to make their site less misleading/confusing.
ReplyDelete