Without realizing it, my passport had expired, so my dad recommended that I get it renewed at…read morePostal Etc. My parents always came here for their passport and visa needs, and the manager Connie Ngo took excellent care of them.
When I called to confirm if she was still doing passports, Connie was very pleasant on the phone. She gave me a few pointers on what to wear. Since the background of the photo will be white, she suggested that I wear something colorful so my photo won't look washed out. She also mentioned that she accepted cash, checks, and money orders. Credit cards were also accepted, but there was a 3% surcharge. It was nice that she told me this information upfront, because I typically do no carry a lot of cash and I certainly do not bring my checkbook with me when I go out. I would have incurred a 3% surcharge on my credit card had she not disclosed this information upfront.
Upon arrival, Connie warmly greeted me and gave me a form to complete for my passport renewal, then proceeded to take my photo. After that, she verified my form was completed and asked if I will be getting a passport book only, or passport with a passport card (government ID). She explained the benefits of getting this ID card, so I decided to get it for $45 extra.
She also explained that in 8-11 weeks, I will receive 3 separate items in the mail: my old passport with holes punched it to make it invalid, my new passport book, and my passport ID card.
I made out 2 checks:
US Dept of State: $160 (passport book & passport ID card)
Postal Etc: $65.06 (service fee, including passport photos)
Connie mentioned that if I travel to countries that require a visa, she can help get that prepared and she can be a resource to confirm if a country needs a visa.
Overall, I had a very pleasant experience. I came at a busy time and Connie was basically running the show herself. She had a high school kid help out, but he was practically useless. She had to give him orders on the simplest of tasks, but he still wasn't able to do it right, so she had to step in.
If you come and don't get Connie's undivided attention, have patience. She's doing her best to tend to all customers and keep things moving. She's a direct and no-nonsense kind of lady, and this attitude may come off as rude, but I didn't find her rude. There was a customer who was pumping the liquid hand sanitizer and made a mess on her counter, so she told him "it's liquid, not gel, so take it easy on the pumping and don't leave a mess."
Despite the busy crowd, the service was quick. Including driving time to and from the store, I was done within my 1 hour lunch break.
This store has all kinds of other services, including mailbox rentals, prints, scans, copies, fax, money orders, mail services, mailing supplies, custom packaging, notary, keys, greeting cards, snacks, etc.
There are plenty of parking spaces in the shopping center, with reserved spots specifically for this store.