About half an hour ago I picked up the phone and placed a call to the (misnamed) Application Assistance Unit at 571-272-4000. The robot voice said my estimated wait time was 124 minutes, and that there were 88 callers ahead of me. Half an hour has passed and the robot now says there are 75 calls ahead of me.
This suggests that the staffing at the AAU is so bad that it takes half an hour to attend to 13 callers. This suggests that the clearance rate might be about 26 callers per hour. Dividing 26 into 75, this suggests that the wait time to reach the head of the line would actually be about three hours.
The AAU closes each day at 5PM Eastern Time, and right now the time of day is 2:30 PM Eastern Time. This suggests I would not reach the head of the line until about 5:30 PM, which I note is half an hour after the AAU employees would have headed home and switched off the lights.
This situation is unacceptable.
I wouldn’t call the USPTO PAU for anything. I find that they always direct your call elsewhere anyway, and many times to the wrong department. Try calling the GAU directly or some other number, anyone but the PAU. When all else fails, I’ve been successful with the OID.
Wait times are amazingly long, and most of the times their help is pretty minimal, ending with “let me speak to a supervisor” which is only helpful in 30-40% of the time.
If I know where to call I do so.
Getting any help from the USPTO contacts is a lot like playing musical chairs; sometimes you get the chair and sometimes you fall flat on your bum. It all depends on who you get.
The AAU has an email address: HelpAAU@uspto.gov,
or in the alternative, have you tried the Inventors Assistance Center? It’s different number and helpful folks answer the phones there – or used to.
On related customer service rant, the COC Branch has always been a little dodgy, but in the last 6 mos. no one returns phone call messages or responds to email status inquiries, even after their long message saying someone will get back to you after 3-5 business days. I’ve been waiting since last Sept. for a call back and have left interim follow up messages each month for a return call for a status of a COC that reasonably should have issued within 6 mos. after a Decision granting a PTA petition, which stated the Office of Petitions would forward to the COC Branch for issuance of a COC. PTA COCs are not a difficult when the Office of Petitions has drafted it and only contain one line regarding PTA days. Have followed up by email and left messages without response to ensure COC had been docketed to COC staff to issue. Ended up calling the Patent Ombudsman number, who said they’d send a message to the COC Branch. Had to call the Ombudsman back because no change in status after 2-weeks and no contact from COC Branch, so Ombudsman rep sent another message to COC Branch. It’s been 3 weeks, and still no change in status and no contact from COC Branch. AAU didn’t want to handle, Ombudsman understood frustration but seemed like rep wasn’t particularly interested in being involved, but if no one is calling back or doing anything after 6 mos. of trying to contact someone at the COC Branch, why keep trying? If there is a backlog, then provide a rough estimate so I’m not calling every month.
Great comments, folks. I’m an older guy, retired now; so I don’t have to put up with this [bad word]; but I’m glad people are trying to keep the PTO accountable.