DPS Call Center Worthless/Useless

[The_Vigilante]

The suggestion of applying with other CHL states is an excellent one and one I endorse. In my case lack of funds prohibited me from taking this course of action.

[bryang]

I understand the frustration, but to be honest, there is very little we can do except to accept things as they are for now. Like Charles said, there are things in the works, but will have to wait until '09. As for as some getting their licenses sooner than others I doubt we will ever know why. It is like trying to make sense out of something that is senseless. I have a perfectly clean record, honorable discharge from the service, lived in the same place for years and still it took 88 days for me to receive my plastic. I realize that is a lot sooner that some others, but why??? The DPS knows that they have a mess on their hands and I'm sure that they would like to get it straighten out as much as we would.

Anyway, just my thoughts and I do feel for those that are still waiting, but it will come...hopefully sooner than later.

Good Luck Everyone! geo

[Rightslanted]

I am going to be the odd man out here. I think the DPS office is doing the best job they can. There has been about a 45% jump in CHL apps so far this year. They were most likely understaffed to begin with. They hired more people. However, for a short period of time, this will slowdown the efficiency due to training. The people at the DPS are simply doing their jobs. Not everybody that applies for a CHL should have one. I am glad they are taking the time to ensure no nut job is getting a license.

The mindset that the person you are talking to is Worthless/Useless is just wrong. You get more flies with honey than with vinegar. Call back and politely ask to speak to manager. Then ask the status of what is still outstanding. Be on their team and tell them you understand the struggles they are going through. Check on every step DPS Check, County, waiting for anything from federal, and anything else that might be outstanding. Get the direct number to the manager and only call her. I called every couple weeks to get status on outstanding issues.

[The_Vigilante]

You just echoed my point. What is the use of the Call Center if you are going to bypass it by asking for a manager/supervisor.

[The_Vigilante]

Unfortunately for me I haven't been able to cut in line. Waiting like most of the other members here-90+ days and counting. I also had legitimate questions to ask-never was able to speak with a supervisor so wrote a letter and email to Jan Coffey which was answered to my satisfaction. By the way the only info available to the people in the Call Center is what I can see when I do a status check. Any additional information has to come from a supervisor if he/she is available. At least that has been the case when I called. In my experience most of the employees in the Call Center are more interested in quoting statistic about how there has been a 50% (or whatever it is) increase in applications and I will now need to wait an additional 60 days for my license.

[amber]

By the way the only info available to the people in the Call Center is what I can see when I do a status check.

The person I spoke to in the call center answered my question when I called but I had a real question not a complaint about delays.

[Rightslanted]

Vigilante,

Cut line. I mailed my app in the end of Febuary. They recieved it the first week of March. I have waited in line. I guess all I am saying is that getting upset and saying they are worthless is not going to help. I went through the manager because they were waiting for Walker county and I live in Waller county. i also treated the person with respect. I never had a problem with the person on the phone. Did I get upset about the mistake a little. But not enough to loose my temper since I make mistakes everyday.

Regards,

Rightslanted.

[The_Vigilante]

Rightslanted,

Where did you ever get the idea I was upset? I am not upset. Just stating my opinion for what it is worth. You also prove my point about the Call Center-you couldn't get the help you needed there so you went to the manager. Sure the people in the Call Center are nice but they are limited in what they can tell you and limited in how they can help you resolve your problem without putting you in touch with a supervisor/manager.

[03Lightningrocks]

I am curious about something. Are the CHL instructors warning folks of the long waits and if they are...what's with getting impatient? If you knew going in that the wait is longer than usual, you should not be crying. Did you expect your application to suddenly get processed in 2 months when everyone knows it is taking 100 days or more?

Anygun has the right answer...get a permit from a recipricating State. My son did the Utah permit. Sent it in on July 8th. He will be carrying by the end of this month. He couldn't care less about how long it takes Texas to get him done. The 100 or so bucks invested was well worth it. He is going to save a bundle in nerve medication by not flipping out over his permit for the next 4 months.

[The_Vigilante]

At the time I took my CHL class (January, 2008) I was not advised by my instructor that I was looking at a wait of 4-5 months. Due to circumstances beyond my control I didn't actually submit my application until April 17th and shortly thereafter found this forum and at that time became aware of the long waiting time. Then to complicate things I forgot to sign one of my fingerprint cards. Instead of notifying me and sending the card back to me for signature right away, the DPS held on to my application for 2 months and advised me online that they were processing my application-fat chance. At 60 days I notified my state rep and it was at that time that I discovered DPS had been holding on to my application-for what reason I will never know. Anyway they finally got the fingerprint card to me for my signature. I sent it back arriving in Austin on July 7th. For the next two weeks online status indicated "letter sent to applicant to correct deficiencies" or something to that effect. Apparently the fingerprint card was sitting in the mailroom somewhere or at the bottom of a stack of apps on someone's desk. I then sent a letter and email to Jan Coffey. As a result Heather took ownership of my application. The FBI check has been completed. All I am waiting on now is the local background check. Hopefully it will be completed soon. I realize I am ultimately responsible for forgetting to sign the fingerprint card. However, the DPS also bears some blame in the haphazard manner they are using to process applications-holding on to my application for 60 days and it would have been longer if I hadn't called my state rep!!! Doesn't it make sense that when the applications arrive in Austin that they are first checked for completeness and if lacking in any way are immediately sent back to the applicants to be corrected? 100 days and counting.

[jmorris]

... Anyway they finally got the fingerprint card to me for my signature. I sent it back arriving in Austin on July 7th. For the next two weeks online status indicated "letter sent to applicant to correct deficiencies" or something to that effect. ....

I emailed about 10 days after I had mailed my fingerprint cards back and USPS showed them having been recieved. The status site still showed "Application incomplete - missing information - detailed letter has been sent". The reply was that the status site runs a WEEK TO TWO BEHIND. No wonder some people have reported getting their plastic before the site changes.

[03Lightningrocks]

That explains why your upset vigilante. I am pretty sure they were not taking so long in January. I took my class in March and was told 60 days...LOL. I wonder if the instructors for the more recent classes are warning of long waits. I really don't see how anyone that has been told in advance can get upset about it. I had a similar situation as yours. It wasn't finger prints...it was even dumber. I had forgot to print my name on an affidavit. They told me about it after more than three months. I had another issue that popped up after that but once i resolved both situations, my plastic arrived within a week or so. Like you, I wondered why they did not catch the printed name situation quicker. Did they notice it and just put my application on the back burner...or did they wait for three months before starting my application. The world will never know....LOL. Try to be patient...you will have your plastic before you know it.

[Commander]

The Dept of Public Safety is overseen by the Public Safety Commission - A five member board appointed by the Governor (currently one member short). The current commissioners are all new and are in the process of making sweeping changes in the agency. One thing that they have done is to post transcripts of their meetings. Something unheard of in the past. Go to http://www.txdps.state.tx.us and click on "Divisons" under that tab find "Public Safety Commission" and you will see the link for Minutes. Reading the transcripts of the past few meetings, CHL issuance time has come up over and over again. They (the Commission) are aware of the problem and have directed staff to find solutions.

Many solutions won't start until after Sept 1st. as the following upper management positions are retiring effective 8-31: Director, Assistant Director, Chief of Administration, Assistant Chief of Administration, Chief of Highway Patrol, Assistant Chief Texas Rangers, Chief of Criminal Law Enforcement, Assistant Chief of Criminal Law Enforcement, General Counsel (Charles -that would be Mary Ann Courter), among others. Sept 1st, the agency has to rebuild itself.