This whole post started over a phone call to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The MADOT has recently announced that they will be retiring the FAST LANE name, and replacing it with EZ-Pass. No big deal, right? Well, I had some questions that the DOT’s website could not answer, such as:
- Since other states already use the EZ-Pass system, and they provide a discount for commuters with transponders, will I be afforded the same discount?
- You say that the name is all that’s changing, but the service won’t; so that means I’m going to be calling the MADOT for any problems regarding my transponder or account?
- Can I walk into a Customer Service Center, apply for and pick up my transponder, or am I required to mail an application, since the website only makes mention of mailing in the application.
- Is there a maximum balance, or is it uncapped?
Holy crap, you’d swear that I just told the operator (who was female) that her boyfriend had just cheated on her. You could tell by her reaction that she was losing her cool.
After 35 minutes on the phone, I finally got my questions answered:
- Since each state’s EZ-Pass is a different/independent agency, the discounts will only apply to people, whose EZ-Pass’s are issued within ‘that state’. I.E. I have a Massachusetts EZ-Pass, so I will only get discounts that apply to the state of Massachusetts. She got aggravated because I had to ask her to explain that three times, since her story kept changing.
- The ‘division’ that will be administering the tags, is still within the MADOT, so they will be handling any customer service. Apparently, I was supposed to realize that a change in name, would not mean a change in service. I realize that the state’s information said “only the name will change”, but this is Massachusetts…
- Apparently, picking up transponders, depositing money, and making any account-based changes is possible at the walk-in offices. Though, if phone-based interaction is this ‘lovely’ with the state, I can only imagine how the interaction will go, in-person. Could I mail in the application? Yes, I could, but, I have put aside cash for the purposes of the opening deposit; plus, I only live 15 minutes away from the service center; it’ll cost me less in gas, than it will the state in postage and handling.
- I was mocked, since it was to be assumed that “of course, there is no maximum”. Well, how was I supposed to know that? My apologies for asking a common sense question, because it’s not addressed on the website. My main reason for the question, is because I don’t want to tie my transponder to a debit card or checking account, while subsequently knowing that if I am going to need $200 for tolls, that I can deposit $200 into the account.
When I proceeded to apologize for the inconvenience that I caused her in the multiple inquiries, in an effort to clarify points, she kept on whining, so I simply hung up.
The moral of this story folks: If you offer a product or service, and her clear/concise in answering questions that may arrive (specifically in an FAQ), you don’t have to deal with phone calls from people like me, who seek clarification. Sometimes I think people should hire me, to approve their FAQ’s.
Edit: 5/18/12 @ 11:54, I go down to the Auburn location to pick up my transponder. If you are claustrophobic or sensitive to sound and/or noise, I would recommend mailing your application. Not only is it a hollow room, with a whole three people working in it, but the people in there just don’t know how to regulate their voices.
Apparently, I also just learned that your license plates can only be on one transponder at a time. I did not see this covered in their Terms & Conditions section. If anyone from the state sees this, or anyone can clarify that it is in the TOS, feel free to reply to this post. It’s not a HUGE deal, but I was surprised to learn of that restriction.
Where my confusion was nearly imminent, was that she wasn’t specific that the individual transponder would be deactivated, not the entire account. Her wording led me to believe that they would all be cancelled. In all fairness, I do have trouble with comprehension from other people, but I’m fairly certain that her explanation was not very concise.
I also found it very amusing that you have to wait 30 minutes, before you can use the transponder, within Massachusetts, and three days before you can use it outside of Massachusetts. I’d be curious if other state’s transponders are under the same window.
Just so we’re all clear, I’m updating this entry while I’m waiting for my transponder to ‘be ready for use’, and my complaint is not at ‘having to wait’, it’s the fact that a piece of technology like this, that is attached to a system that processed hundreds of cars per second, while on the road, takes 30 minutes to ‘be ready for use’. Again, if anyone knows why that delay exists, feel free to let me know.
