Discriminatory and Unprofessional Treatment at SSA - No ASL Interpreter Provided I visited the Social Security office at 411 Richland Hills Dr, San Antonio, TX 78245 on Jan 23, 2025, between 10:45 AM and 12:45 PM with my older brother and his wife (both deaf). We went to update my brother's phone number because his phone service does not support relay or video interpreting, and he has no Wi-Fi at home. This means he cannot communicate by phone and must come in person for help. During our visit, a male staff member questioned why my brother can speak but cannot communicate on the phone. My brother relies on lip reading and explained he cannot use the phone. The staff member refused to provide his name, refused to write anything down, and gave us a dismissive attitude. He said we would be seen on Monday, Jan 26 at 2:00 PM and walked away. I then asked for a supervisor. The supervisor arrived and stated that no interpreter was available, that the VRI was not working, and that "the government changed contractors so there are no more ASL interpreters in SSA offices." She also said the only option was to communicate by phone, which is impossible for my brother. Both staff members refused to provide their names or supervisor names. Their behavior caused emotional distress and humiliation. This is clearly disability discrimination and a failure to provide effective communication required by law. This office needs serious improvement in accessibility for the deaf community. SSA should provide qualified ASL interpreters and respectful service. I do not recommend this office until they fix these issues. read more

This place is obnoxiously unbearable. It is Absolutely boring as hell and miserable sitting there long enough doing absolutely nothing will test your sanity to see if you can be broken or not. The way they have the system there is unbearable. The seats are uncomfortable. One of the security guards is a soup Nazi for the front desk seats. he doesn't want anybody sitting on those seats even if you're disabled or not even though they aren't even using them in the first place. This place is about as close to hell as you're gonna get. I honestly never wanna come back there ever again and the only reason I do is because they asked me to, but I would never come there to visit anyone for anything unless it's business only. This place makes me regret being disabled just for the fact alone that I have to come here in the first place to settle my business with the Social Security administration. When you come here, don't forget to enter your Social Security into the kiosk in order to check into your appointment. The waiting game is the worst part because even if you get there early, it still doesn't guarantee you're gonna get served early because they keep picking numbers and letters at random someone who came earlier could go later as someone who came later could get selected earlier so showing up there early makes no difference. They don't have no food drinks or snacks and no TV and no form of entertainment and whatever you bring for yourself is what you are going to have when you are sitting there to keep you distracted long enough, but don't let yourself get too distracted because they could call your ticket without you fully realizing it because they took so long to call it. That's what happened to me. I got there at 9 AM close to 10 and stay there till about 4 o'clock close to five. By that time I was out of it and I didn't hear them call my ticket because I couldn't believe my ticket was being called until the third last call and I almost didn't get my ticket honored because of it. Also, when they call your ticket to a window that you can't see that's because there are other windows out there in the hallway further down are other offices that are out of view. This place is in sufferable. You don't need to be dead to still be in hell all you have to do is go to a Social Security office and that's about close to hell as you're going to get for now. When you going to the Social Security office, don't forget to bring everything with you that you need for whatever reason may be. Also don't forget to bring your own food and drinks if that's what you want, but I personally didn't bring any because if they call your ticket while you're in the bathroom, you might not hear it and you might not make it out there in time. I never wanna come back here again and the only time I ever will is if they request it, but I would personally never come by just for the sake of going through all that hell for nothing. I never wanna come back there again . It took Almost 5 hours of waiting for a 10 minute meeting. read more

I'm giving them 10/10 because the representative T.Chatman was very nice and helpful. My husband appointment was 9:30am we were seen at 9am and was done 9:20am. Thank you T.Chatman for your professional service. read more

Worst customer service ! Rude in every way. System for checking in does not work properly even with appointments !

If I can give any advice it's, get an appointment! They open at 9 and begin by taking appointments only first, I was in and out in about 15 minutes. My service was quick and efficient. read more

I'll start with I know how truly exhausting it must be working with the public all day... that said there is no reason for some of the employees at this location to be so unbelievably rude. I sat and watched as I waited for my appointment time to come. A few of the employees were rolling their eyes, talking down to people who had questions, etc. Then when it's finally my turn the gentleman who was helping me was very nice but he kept falling asleep while typing at the keyboard! I'm talking eyes closed, fingers stop typing and head nods forward. I don't envy their jobs by any means but I do think the employees know they have the power and don't treat people with much respect at all. read more

I waited for hours with my new baby and toddler for them to tell me to change my last name or get my daughter's card I had to have an appointment. Which after calling the main number I learned that was not true. read more

Perfect day to visit and have my business with SSA taken cared of today. Those people who rated this government establishment before either need to update their reviews or visit them again, they are just awesome here. First thing first though, the energy you give out, you get it back, a positive attitude goes a long way. There's a huge difference between "a glass half full" and a "glass half empty" outlook. Not really sure what was their situations before but it all comes down to positive outlook. Drove my way to this location at exactly 7:45 this morning, there's was just one lady waiting outside so decided to take a quick drive thru at Krispy Kreme nearby for a quick bite and a cup of coffee to warm me up while waiting, it's a bit chilly waiting outside in the queue. When I got back I'm the fifth person on the line. Around 8:50, the nice young lady announced they are letting people in and numbers will be assigned. We were told one we hear our number, will be told which window to go to. I got assigned C-207 for window #1 and was instructed to wait by window #1. The only confusing thing is and doesn't make sense, my number was called to proceed to window #9, good thing there's a video monitor that shows the numbers, too bad for the elderly and people with auditory issues. But in all honesty, it was still a very smooth fast, efficient and professional service from these public servants, especially Mr. Chatman. He was very patient, answered all my questions, very helpful, warmly amiable and extremely professional. I got called around 9:03am and done with all the business for today at around 9:28am, wow, very efficient. Hoping the rest of them have the same degree of excellent customer service. Oh, the young lady who let us in earlier and the security guard (didn't get their names though) we both warm, helpful and welcoming as well. Hope the bad reviews here would be revisited again and updated. Not really sure what happened with them, what experiences they had but they should consider giving this particular SSA field office another chance. read more

See all

I have followed this loathed administration protocols for months. After 5 attempts one cancellation without notification on Wed June 18th, today i had two appointments. I was yelled at by old people while going past the line with both my bar codes only to be told my ticket produced the wrong letter leaving me unable to fix my issue. The obviously comfortable employee(s) at Window 6 was offended because I said one curse word and told me it would be hours to speak with management and said she could only help me with one issue and was not responsible for their call center. As I continued to express my concerns I was told she could not help me bcz of zip codes. Even though I live six minutes from the office I have to drive to the East side. She passed me over to Window 9 where that woman told me the same crap. I told both of these people I only needed to give them updated paperwork for a marriage license and get a replacement card for my kid. In the time it took to argue and offend these complacent Gestapo they could have just processed my paperwork. Like I told the employees, if it were their relatives or family they would have made magic happen. So if management is reading this the taxpayers and elderly, you mistreat have the ability to make grievances on you and your staff. It would be wise to just help because you will be on the other side of the window. THE TIME IT TOOK TO ARGUE WAS LONGER THAN PERFORMING THE TASK AT HAND. YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE TOO COMFORTABLE. TICKETS29 TICKETS27 THEN CHANGED TWICE read more

Had a phone appointment and no one ever answered. Called the number given to me to call in case my appointment call was not answered, unfortunately no one answered that number. This system truly needs to be changed. Called numerous times, a total of 4 hours. read more

Had an appointment got there early and they were closed, unable to call anyone from SSA , horrible customer service!!

Busiest place ever! Pack a breakfast & lunch or bring a book because you will be there for hours! I don't know if it's any better if you have an appointment but I only went to ask a question regarding what my retirement benefits would be. They need a better process or hire more clerks. read more

when i came i waited for my appointment, right before my appointment all the systems were down and took a while to get back to working again, the building has no flowing air and its so cluttered and not enough seats for everyone read more

I had an appointment for 12:50 to change my last name and I got taken care of by 12:35. Not sure why everyone else is rating this place so low but I'm assuming it's because they were all walk in's. Schedule y'all's appointment online, have all your paper work ready, and you'll get whatever you need done that day. Be efficient y'all! Not hard! read more

I suggest you change your hours listed for opening and closing. I got off work early because I shows yall close at 4, but I got here at 3 and it's completely closed. Inconvenient read more

2 hours later, I received a piece of paper w/all the information I submitted online to verify (my name for correct spelling and my address). To then be told, I WILL RECEIVE IN THE MAIL IN 2 weeks for a name change at the SS office. What in thee actual F* Our government agencies have GOT TO DO BETTER!!!!!!! read more

What a GREAT Experience!! Do ONLINE checkin with online applications. Took less than 10 minutes on my entire visit here. Teller was soo nice and informative. read more

I thought this would be like the California DMV, but it wasn't. It was a really easy and pleasant experience, even of it was a bit lengthy. Our Claims Rep Steven Pfeil was courteous, efficient and professional and got us additional benefits we weren't even aware of. The place is clean and remarkably efficient. I had a good consumer and citizen experience! read more

This was my second time visiting this location and both times I have been in and out in less than 30 minutes. Highly recommend getting there before they open and getting in line, make sure to have all of your paperwork ready because they make no exceptions. Very clean environment and nice parking. read more

The drop box is NOT outside of the building. So if you need to drop some documents do it during office hours.

How many hoops do you have to go through just to change something. Customer service is a joke- you trying call them only to wait half an hour or more. Then when you do reach someone they are ragging b words. Like who trained them? Let me take over this office and I'll have this place running the way it's supposed to be. Customer service? What's that? read more

This location is a joke. If you are an employee here, then you should be embarrassed to work here. I waited over a 1 1/2 hour to be seen, and then the guy I dealt with was rude and unhelpful. I then had to wait another hour to see somebody to claim my lump sum from my wife, before I gave up and just left. The guy that was rude, told me that I was third inline too be seen, and that it wouldn't take long. After 2 1/2 hours basically I got nothing done, and learned nothing from the questions I wanted to ask. read more

Very helpful and friendly. There is a little bit of a wait time but I knew that coming here and expected it . Very clean building.

Idk what I was expecting. I got up early to come here and made detours on my way, what a major mistake! The parking lot is tiny. I was looking for additional parking but didn't find one. You can't easily drive and turn around because the parking lot is so small and odd shaped. Walked inside and BAM! Wall to wall people and the security guard is yelling at everyone that you cannot stand around you have to take a seat. Man wth do you want all these people to seat. One lady just mentioned she's been waiting for an hour and a half. Idk I might have to vacate the premises and stand in line in the morning as if I'm buying a pair of Jordan's. Lol An hour and a half later I got great, friendly service and out the door I go. read more

Super...super slow! The place is super crowded and the employees all act they don't want to work. Call a number and take a 20 minute break. WTH I bet they will start moving when it's time to take their ass home! On C147 and I have C155. This place SUCKS read more

I am working on a situation that required an in office visit. I went in but the office needed to fax the Dr.'s to get additional information, they supposedly faxed and mailed but the Dr. received neither. Now I have called 10 times and at first they would put me in the que to speak to an agent and then the hang up on me after about 15 minutes. Now they just are hanging up as soon as I ask to be put in the que. I called the national office to complain and see if they could help but after waiting on hold for 52 minutes all they would say is that you have to deal with the local office and gave me the number I already had. They told me to go in and complain. Sure give your complaint to the office you are complaining about. They really are going to take care of that. read more

Tbe service is extremely frustrating. I tried to make an appointment and was on hold for 29 minutes without being assisted. The online service is not updated. I guess I'll show up to the office to see if I get better service. read more

I've seen some really bad reviews of this social security office but I had a really easy quick experience. Took half the day off work turned up an hour and a half before opening and waited outside, we got let in and seen immediately for a new social security number. We were in there no more than 10 minuets, the staff were quiet but got the job done. The lady that greeted us with our number was also really smiley and was real sweet I would just say turn up super early to avoid these 4-5 hour waits inside! read more

My employer forced me to visit my local SSA office recently due to a "discrepancy" on my Social Security card... one of the letters was mixed up. Anywho! On a positive note, I got to take half the day off, so that was nice. As for the office itself, it had a very Country Western feel for being so brand new. All of the service windows (of which there are about 20, if not more) felt like I was in a saloon ordering a drink from the bar. Maybe I was just subconsciously wanting to be at a bar, who knows. I was pleasantly surprised at just how fast they took care of me! The security officer was nice, all of the personnel were very pleasant to deal with, and they have TV monitors throughout the facility to show you which number is being called. They also have a plethora of forms to fill out should you be there for that purpose. Even though it sure isn't just down the street, I would recommend coming to this location for all of your SSA needs if you want to decrease the odds of getting a headache after the whole ordeal. read more

This place really sucks. Don't come here on a Friday. There is no parking and you'll wait for over three hours. We came in right at opening and sat until noon. We went to the reception area in the back and the televisions were not on which made it difficult for us to know when we were up next as the people were loud. The seating is uncomfortable and there is literally nothing to do. Bring your phone, iPad or a book and expect to wait. Ugh. read more

Another ANGRY employee encountered. Work at home employee, not very happy with her job. Lo and behold, her name was actually KAREN. I called to report a family member death. No condolences, no nothing. I wanted to correct something on the father's name, said that's irrelevant now, meaning he's dead, no need to correct anything. I told her, it's relevant to ME! Finally hung up on Karen read more

Don't wear anything metal. Got there an hour before they opened and was about 12th in line for a new card. I had the paperwork printed and filled out and drivers license, Military dependent ID card, and birth certificate just in case(it didn't count). In and out in 10 min. They only let a few people in at a time read more

The Richland HIlls location has some of the rudest "Specialists" I have ever met. They refuse to give you their names, stating "I don't have to tell you that." It is impossible to reach anyone by phone, the wait time in the office is ridiculous and they make all kinds of incorrect assumptions about you. Trying to get one of their assumptions changes is near impossible. Even letters to the Manager go unanswered.It is really pathetic that they are supposed to serve the community, yet have such a condescending attitude. read more

My experience is this. I went to apply for part b medicare five weeks ago. They said it would take about a month and I will get my card. My husband recently was laid off so we have no medical insurance. I did get my card but the part b was not indicated. I spoke with Medicare who advised the paperwork was not submitted by the Social Security office. I called the main Social Security office who advised that everything seemed to be in order except the paperwork had not been submitted by the office in San Antonio. So I try to contact the Social Security office and can not get thru. No option is given to leave a message for a call back. So I am sitting here an insulin dependent diabetic who because someone did not submit the paperwork, have to wait another week or so to get what I need to go see a doctor. According to the medicare office, it should not take this long. The girl who saw me was distracted by another worker who was complaining about how some client went off on him. I started tapping my fingers to get her attention again. If he wants to vent I say vent on his time not mine. read more

Went to get my name changed today. And I definitely recommend this location! Security officers were very friendly and helpful. The lady that helped me was also straight to the point. I think I talk to her for less than 5 mins! I went in about 1:30 on a Tuesday and I waited for about 15-20 mins. read more

I waited for 45 min which, unfortunately brought me up to close to their closing time. I finally get to "window # 4" and state I want to enroll in Medicare, I'm within 3 months of turning 65. "Do you have an appointment?" he asks. "No, and how would one know an appointment is required?" (He never answered that question). "I have no one who can see you now, but you can do that on line." "On line? If it's simple enough to do on line, why would I need an appointment." (another question he didn't answer). So, I went home and did it on line--it took 5 minutes. That scumbag just didn't want to be bothered with me that close to closing time. Do yourself a favor--don't go there unless you absolutely have to. read more

Just got my name changed at this location. I was nervous because of the bad reviews online but it was a great experience! The security guards were helpful and respectful. The wait time was only 15 minutes and the specialist that helped me was friendly, and very professional. Her last name was Mayberry or something like that. read more

I was somewhat hesitant to go to the Social Security office located on Richland Hills after reading the reviews. The reviews stated that parking was terrible, the specialist were rude and the wait time was excessive. Having no other choice I went there today, Monday, August 29, 2016. I want to tell all of you that the reviews are absolutely erroneous. I was able to find parking immediately with plenty others available. The wait time was reasonable for the amount of people they had to serve. About an hour!!!! The place was packed by the way. When my number was called and I presented myself to the specialist, she was very pleasant, courteous and professional. She quickly resolved my issue and made sure all my questions were answered. When I was done, I asked for her name and she quickly responded, "my name is Ms. Resendiz" . I thanked her for her prompt customer service and professionalism. Whatever drove other people to share negative comments about this location must have had a bad day before they even got there!! read more