Social Security Administration

I’ve been dreading coming to change my name after getting married because of all the horror stories I hear about the Social Security office. My husband was starting to think I was changing my mind :) It’s been a year and a half and finally here I am!
Anyway, I’m here now and having a totally fine experience, even pleasant! The security guards are super friendly and playful, maybe because it’s Xmas week and things aren’t super hectic in here. It’s noon on a Monday and there are about 25 people in the waiting room.
The office was easy to find (the building on the corner of Grand and 6^th) on the 6^th floor (lots of signs once you get to the floor).
Once you get to the suite, wait for the security guard to call you in and then pretend like you’re at the airport, put all your metal crap in the bin then go thru the metal detector. Next go to the little kiosk to check in and get your ticket number (I saw there was an option to choose if you made an appointment online which I didn’t know you could do!). Next. Wait and watch the monitors for your number to be called.
Make sure you come when you have plenty of time to wait. Bring a book or something.
Great place for people watching!

Unfortunately, the two previously posted reviews here do not give an accurate depiction of the place. This branch is in my neighborhood, so I go to it by default and have dealt with them for years. However, I have been to many offices all throughout the Los Angeles region, and this one is most definitely the worst.
The service here is abominable, bordering on abusive. I have seen the security guards yelling profusely at the elderly and disabled, including more than one elderly person, who, through no fault of their own, just simply did not speak or understand the English instructions too well. My female friend, who has a pacemaker that she is life-​dependent on, cannot go through a metal detector, otherwise there is a risk it will scramble the electronics of her implanted device. If that pacer stops, she’s at risk of dying. The security guards make her go through it anyway. She’s told them several times she’s more than willing to be pat down by hand, but they tell her the law states a female person can only be pat down by a female security guard, and they don’t have one. Considering what’s at stake, I think alternative provisions need to be made. What’s more, she doesn’t experience any difficulty when going to another branch. In other words, the guards just check her bags, ask her to empty her pockets or use a wand on the lower half of her body, avoiding her chest. Simple solution.
The representatives are no better. They are callous and demeaning. They talk over your questions, barely letting you finish and talk down to you with barely veiled resentment. They are NOT interested in helping you, particularly if you have anything complicated to resolve. And there is no evidence of ANY sensitivity training whatsoever. People working with the elderly and disabled all day should be mandated by law to undergo sensitivity training which prepares them to accept and patiently account for people’s various aptitudes. Some people are clearly «not all there,» some do not speak English fluently, others are simply slower owing to age. They do not deserve to be berated or impatiently dismissed.
The staff should be prevented from ever seeking employment in a service-​oriented profession again. Once they, themselves, are in the untenable position of having to depend solely on the government for their well-​being and livelihood (a government employee is not the same as being on the fixed income of Social Security or SSI/​SSDI), let’s see how well they fare being treated like cow dung.

Better than horrible I guess. Make sure u press apply for ss card even for renewal or you’ll get the wrong wait card and has to start over.

as with all government agencies and services, there’s always a long wait. this one is no exception.
i’ve been here on two separate occasions, escorting coworkers from india to get them legit and legal here in the land of freedom.
the security guards are friendly and so are the agents.
there’s a self-​service ticket counter that generates a number so that the right agent can be assigned to you. that’s pretty neat. if you’re a fob and can only read chinese, korean or spanish, the placards everywhere are helpful to you too too.
it helps to do everything online. applications are in english, spanish, or chinese.
the only bad things are the weirdos who lurk around in the waiting area and the long ass wait. bring a book cuz they won’t let you use your cell phone inside.