Social Security Administration

This location is just awful. It doesn’t matter what time you get there, the wait will always be at least 3 hours. And yes, majority of the clerks are rude. This location make up their own rules and guidelines for documents and verification that has nothing to do with Social Security administration policy. Everytime something get corrected by other Social Security office, the Long Beach Office will suspend the account for no reason. Save yourself the trouble and go somewhere else. How unfortunate.

Just got off the phone with Ms. Jacoks (?) I suppose she’s the receptionist. She was incredibly rude and after having our whole lives turned upside down by a terrible illness, the last thing I need is to be treated terribly and then intentionally hung up on. She needs some sensitivity training, or maybe a job far, far away from the public.

This location is very degrading. Security check point but before that you must wait out side. Oh God! No one gave me elbow room. No personal space here! Once inside no a/​c and not nearly enough chairs for everyone. I arrived at 10:30 am and the wait looked to be 3 hours. You will go insane waiting there for 3 hours! I waited 5 minutes and could not bare another second. Call me a princess but I’m going to another city.
(The security guard made me take my pepper spray to my car, shit this is the place I would end up using it).

The staff I dealt with couldn’t have been nicer once I saw them. Unable to get through by phone to make an appointment I showed up at 8:45 and found a line around the corner through the parking lot and onto 20^th St. this line moved very slowly and some people were elderley or just handicapped. Some benches or even awnings to shelter the line from the sun would go a long way to making this a less desperate situation.
Once in and past Security you check in at a screen where you enter your Social Security number, (this seems rather public and insecure because anyone behind you can see the number.)and reason for visit then take a seat or stand and wait for your number to be called. Hours pass then your number is called. I was impressed by the lady who helped me as I stood, no chair at her window, and applied for Medicare. She was very helpful and gave me a verification letter which I needed in order to sign up for supplementary insurance. Four hours all told, I left then was told by my Insurance agents that the verification letter was missing a vital code letter after my identification number. Returned to SS office at noon the next day and found that they close at Noon that day. Getting though by phone is impossible so day three at the Social Security office may be the charm. Maybe get there at 7am, take a stool and water ?.
Nice staff but there is a lack of organization and for many even if you have a computer there is NO way of dealing with matters on line .
Your identification number on the card, once you get it, will be your Social Security Number. This is a risky idea and I know ‘people’ in Washington have been talking about changing it for years.

Got here at 2:45 p.m., (15 mins before the office closes.)
wait time: 2 hours, with no appointment.
I was worrying that I would need to get come back the following day. There was a Hispanic lady asked around our needs (reasons for the visit). She is kind and very friendly.
half of the number had been called and no one answered. people…(sigh)…be responsible please.
The interviewer (young Asian lady) was very friendly, patient and efficient.
overall impression: staffs are helpful and friendly.

This was the worst experience. I made an appointment 3 weeks in advance and came early with all my paperwork and 3 questions. The clerk, though friendly, could answer none of the questions. She referred me to an interviewer in the back office and said I would be next up.
For the next hour I watched people be taken in ahead of me. When I repeatedly and courteously asked why, I was told the interviewer was busy. When I finally gave up more than 1 hour after my appointment and said I needed to reschedule, the clerk told me to call the 800 number and start all over again. Incredible.
Save yourself endless aggravation and go to another office where someone cares and can answer a question or make a decision. After 3 weeks, a total waste of my whole morning.

Definitely not a bad as I was expecting.
I had to get a new social security card and I came in 30 minutes before closing, on a Friday before a 3 day weekend, AND without an appointment. I knew it was going to be packed, but it was the only time I could do it. Anyway, we got there and when I checked in, I saw that there were about 100 people in front of me! Talk about a nightmare of a situation… or so I thought!
Long story short, we were in and out if there in less than 1.5 hours. Considering the number of people and the Friday situation, I’d say that was a miracle! To top it off, the woman helping me (Ms.Ramsey??) was fantastic! She was super friendly, efficient, and very sweet.
No complaints here!

The new shorter hours make the wait long and insufferable! Waited 30 minutes in the hot sun just standing in line to get in. Then after security check, you get your number and start the 3 hr long wait. Oh fun!
But wait, there’s more! The new shorter hours also make the staff impatient halfway listening to you and halfway god knows where. They are overworked and they showed it. After all of that time they got my info wrong and managed to blame me for the mistake with threatening letters.
So I have to go back but trying the Lakewood office next time. Will post comparison.

At 8 a.m. there were 20 people in line. By 8:50 a.m., 10 minutes before opening there were about 60 people. There are two armed guards who screen entrants thru a metal detector. They do one person at a time and are very efficient. Most people entered as if it was the first time they’d encountered such a screening, delaying the line considerably as they remove metal objects from their pockets. The screening process is very slow as a result. Plan on standing on line for some time if you arrive late.
I had my number called and was assisted by a reasonably pleasant worker and I was out of the the office in under 25 minutes.