Anticipating the trouble spots

I just got back from AAA, having successfully obtained a license plate and registration for one of our cars. During my four month stay in China, that car was never to be driven. Therefore, I removed liability insurance from that car, and (in compliance with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation regulations) surrendered the old plate prior to my leaving for China.

Now that I have returned, I wanted to get a new plate and registration so I could drive the car. I went to AAA, and eventually was able to accomplish that task. However, it took longer than it needed to, because the AAA staff had trouble figuring out which computer screens and commands to use.

Looking back, I should have anticipated this problem, and prepared for it. Prior to leaving for AAA, I actually had called PennDOT to ask about what documents I needed. When I had them on the phone, I should have asked them, "Is there anything AAA should know when processing my request?" There's no guarantee of course, but maybe PennDOT could have told me to tell AAA to use a particular screen or command.

I know the customer shouldn't have to do the job of the service provider, but sometimes it's necessary if you want the job done right and done quickly.