NH DMV - Worst Gov. Service I've Ever Received Today

Terrible customer service, I drove 90 minutes each way AND waited for a total of 5 hours getting the run around about getting proof of my license from the last state I lived in. Here's the thing - I emailed DMV and explained my situation since I don't physically have my old license. I explicitly stated that I don't have it, and that I'm looking at "required documents" and have everything else, but will I need additional documentation since I don't have my old license. This woman, we'll call her "Wendy", replied and directed me to a page that contained info. on the required documents, but said I didn't need anything else.

Now I get to the DMV today, they say to get the DMV from my last state to fax my old info to them. I call that DMV and am put on hold for quite awhile, before being told that NH DMV needs to fax them a request for this information. NH DMV says "We can't fax out a fax request, it's kind of a catch-22. You should drive down the street and go to Kinkos and fax it yourself". You see, they told me to break the laws that they are supposed to enforce because my License is expired. All of this was carried out in a rude way, as if I were inconveniencing them (even though they're supposed to do their job, and a bunch of these people are incompetent idiots who want to blame everyone else for things. Not only that, but that I also have to pay for their mistake.

Ray, the supervisor that I finally got to speak with was great and understanding, but I still left without my license and wasted a whole day due to poor information and customer service.

And get this, they even have their "mission statement" on the wall, so I grabbed a picture

I will say, I kind of felt like a "champion of the people" when I explained the situation and confronted the Customer Service folks about how it was their mistake and they shouldn't be telling me to go break laws that they're supposed to enforce. In a perfect world it would've been a standing ovation and I would have left with a new license, but instead I left empty-handed.

Luckily I DID get to educate some folks during my wait, talking about Puerto Rico's multi-billion dollar debt crisis, how they've closed over 150 schools, as well as hospitals, and how the bankers are essentially holding the country's economy hostage (that's the way I see it).

I'm still amazed at how poorly this whole ordeal was handled. oh well, "good enough for government work"

and just think, there's some people who believe this same govt is capable of handling their healthcare!

i feel you pain though lol i had to call once about getting reinstated lol that was a 3 hour phone call another hour and a half driving to the dmv another 6 hours waiting in 4 different lines and about 5 seconds to sign my name to pay the bill lol yay govt!

DMV's in other states are going down the toilet as well. I didn't lose my driver's license but it took the State of Texas three weeks of not telling me everything I needed to bring with me to transfer my Oklahoma license.

a reply to: FamCore

I have never seen such rude, lazy, condescending COUGH customer COUGH service. They act entitled to their jobs and like you should grovel at the throne of government and be grateful.

And people want BIGGER government. SMH

My sister goes to a county (government) health service, and the exact same thing happens there.

Look at the VA.

I just do not understand how people want more government control.

a reply to: stosh64

I completely agree - I literally laughed in their face when they came back and said "So... unfortunately we can't 'fax out' a fax request unless they fax us a request first" - same stupid policy at both DMVs in different states, and yet you idiots couldn't just CALL the other DMV to get approval? I even brought that up and they said "We don't do that"

So they need a fax from the other State DMV, but aren't willing to call them OR send a fax requesting it? Instead, they want me to break the law and drive on a expired license, and go pay for a fax myself down at Kinkos, even after I've pointed out that this is their fault and "Wendy" gave me faulty information.

I was turning a lot of heads when I began getting frustrated - I didn't want to cause a scene but it was absolutely freaking ridiculous. Yes, I take responsibility for letting my license expire, but I provided them with more than enough information in my inquiries and they damn well should have made things right instead of putting me in that situation.

If they were a business they would get reported to the better business bureau and would likely be out of business, but it's the 'gubment' so they can provide the sh*ttiest service in the world, give illegal advice, and get away with it and then blame me (and force me to pay for their mistakes via a $3.00 fax and driving illegally just to send that fax).


Sorry, this is kind of a redundant comment but due to the boiling temperature of my blood right now, it was completely necessary. I already feel better just from making this thread. THANK YOU ATS

It's good to know I'm not the only one

a reply to: FamCore
You are definitely NOT alone.

Vent away. I feel better too.

The public wants:

1. Awesome, amazing customer service

2. Dirt cheap employees

You can only have one or the other, you can't have both. I'm sorry.

I know here that someone starting as a customer service representative at the DMV (the person at the counter) is eligible for SNAP.

Also, poor management makes a huge contribution to the morale and types of people that DMV's retain. Unfortunately a culture of "promote the problem" seems to thrive, and crappy people who have no business being managers manage to be put in charge. These folks drive away good people.

On top of that, people don't like being told, "No." It's that simple. Are the people at the DMV going to screw up and tell you the wrong thing from time to time? Sure, absolutely -- but you also have to understand that EVERYONE uses the DMV. Celebrities down to the nearly-homeless.

People urinating and defecating in DMV lobbies isn't unheard of. People who can't figure out how to use a DMV's website to make sure they have what they need beforehand show up totally unprepared and take their incompetence out on the line workers.

So between horrible managers that never back you up, low pay, low appreciation for work done right -- these people are generally pretty miserable by the time you and I get to their counter.

It's not an excuse for wrong/bad information or service -- but keep in mind these people are pretty jaded and never know if you are going to be a "problem customer" who demands they are 100% right and the world should bow down before then (there are far more of these people out there than you realize).

And before anyone brings it up -- my state has tried to privatize various aspects of the DMV with disastrous results. It didn't matter what company took the contract, the regular DMV ends up having to redo about 20-25% of the title/registration work over again because its done wrong.

Walk into any government agency, including the IRS, and look around. I'm serious. Look at them and watch them. These are the bureaucrats that run things for the government---local, county, state, and federal. Is it any wonder that it takes four of these bureaucrats to do the work of one efficient human?

a reply to: FamCore

Sounds like a real headache! If you want worse, try going in person to get a passport sometime! Did that some years back, and wow...how anyone has faith in any part of a government responsible for that, I can't imagine!

In your case, couldn't they have simply have you take a test? Seems far simpler.

when my dad worked at the social security headquarters he told us that they would hire 2 or 3 people for 1 position because one of the people wouldn`t do any work and the other 2 would only do half as much as they should.I`m sure he was only joking about hiring the 3 people but the point is valid.

a reply to: FamCore

Maybe your delay there was meant to be,you never know,you
might have woken someone up.Too many people are unaware
of things going on around the world. I hope you get your license
soon.

DMV is the most personal I've gotten with government, and it's set the tone.

Up here, to register a vehicle you have to go to two different buildings on two sides of town, and pay two different fees to get a plate.


Then you have to go to the PD (third building) to get a 24 hour waiver to drive the vehicle to a fourth building (inspection station) to get a sticker- but they're required by law to only charge $20 or whatever for an inspection sticker... so they'll fail you and say you need work (x,y,z- whatever they happen to feel like doing today for work) so that your options are:
1) pay them for the work, have them replace parts for no reason for a few hundred bucks to get the option to pay for the $20 sticker, or...
2) try another shop, who will usually do the same thing (but fail a different thing), or,
3) take the vehicle home and do the work yourself, seeing that the "failed" part is in fine condition and replacing it anyway, then taking it back and showing them the work you did vs the paperwork they gave you failing it, so they're forced to admit that it's "fixed" and will sell you the $20 sticker.

Of course, option 3 is my option of choice, since most "mechanics" are just monkies with computers these days, and they're clueless how to actually work on a car. I drive old cars on purpose, and it's hard to find an old timer still swinging wrenches. The kids in the shops today don't know anything but to ask the computer what part to replace, then replace it. They also don't seem to understand the concept of jacking points, but that's another rant.

What do you get when you combine old cars with option 3? Wait times for parts.
After getting told what has failed, you have to order the replacement part and wait a few days for it to come in, replace it for no reason since the old part is just fine, then go back to the PD to get another waiver to take the car back to the station to show them the work- and hope they remember you so they don't just fail you for something else.

Tried skipping the waiver once, got two miles out from my front door before getting pulled over and fined $130 for not having a sticker, AND the bastard made me late for my sticker appointment so when I got there they wouldn't check the car- had to come back the next day.


Only in a "free" country would you have to jump through so many hoops just to pay the extortion fees.