Morocco # English board

Hi folk, here is a funny story that happened to me.


I decided to go to the moroccan consulate in Washington D.C. to renew my passport, So I reserved and called early in the morning about that. after a terrible traffic jam, I had to spend 2.5 hours going only 30 miles (50Kms).

Well arrived at the fortunate destination, I can see (for the first time) with proudness the moroccan flag and a golden sign saying : "Kingdom Of Morocco" Consular Affairs, I felt that feeling of being home ! and yet things are to be confirmed later.


I just stepped in, I saw a waiting room more looking like the waiting room for pediatrics in downtown rabat. Anyway, I found a lady over there and saluted her : Assalamo Alaykom. She answered me straight : Sorry We are closed, and the one who signs has already left ( ha ha ha ha, they never change and not even answered my salam)

Anyways I kindly asked her for their business hours, she answered : from 10 in the morning until 2 in the evening, (knowing that the procedure to get the passport renewed takes 4 hours)

making the calculation you have to be exactly at 10 and leave exactly at 2 (closing hour).


Today will be called the day wasted in the mo9ata3a of the united states of america. I just smiled, and wished her a nice evening.


She felt the guilt, asked me if I know the list of the paperwork needed so she can hand me one. I declined stating everything is ready in my file.


Maybe I should wait until back to Rabat, and get it serviced by the "friend of the family" ? Maybe I will but don't ask me why we overabuse the administration, maybe just because they are "underperforming" thats to be the least to say.

My friend, I feel your pain! I know how that may make you feel. I experienced almost the same story at the consulate in New York. Went there just to have some info on what’s needed to start an import export company. The waiting room was exactly as you said + no air condition, and the look on the faces of the ones waiting reminded me of the look at people on the long lines in Mokataas all over our beloved morocco, you know what I mean, that look that says: LA HAWLA WALA KOWATA ILLA BILLAH.!!I was very disappointed, I complained but I have to say that one person came and offer to help after that and was very professional and helpful. I wrote to many people at the Moroccan ministry of foreign affair, the bosses, and told them about the lousy service but also gave them the name of the person who I thought was exceptional.
I think you should do that, I think we all should do that every time we face these things or Mokataa like services.
Good luck to you,
Almot

Hi
You are absolutely right dear Almot. I think those who may or can make things change are very aware of this forum and will get the message.However, the staff at our embassy in Berlin are very helpfull and professional. thanks to the new ambassador.This means, things are improving and this should also be mentioned.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2006 10:04 by Krim.

We once drove 300 kilometres from the north of the UK to the consulate in London. We arrived outside while it was still open, but by the time we had driven round and round looking for parking, they closed! (This was about 2PM) We just had to drive all the way back home again. Thankfully we no longer require their services!

Well Great !

I sent an email to them like 4-5 days ago (last friday ?) and I got answered today. Simple luck ? I don't think so, since the email included details discussed herein which were not adressed in my request.


I got the feeling that this thread is being under watch

I'm so happy you get an email and I hope your ''SIMPLE" request for renewing your passport will not take too long to achieve. i'm also sure this, and other forum are watched closely, but that is good too, it gives us another way to communicate..
good luck to you my friend
Almot

i mean 10 am to 2 pm , seems like a joke ,isnt it ?

why does each time i go to a a moroccan consulat , i feel oppressed ( maybe claustrophobia) like i am trapped in their hands ... good god , i dont feel confortable at all .

I absolutely see what you mean dear Obs2006, there need to be a solution to the way we see and treat each other, it's not only in embassies and consulates, in Morocco when you go to hospitals, just look at the way some of the workers and even some of the doctors treat people from the countryside for example, look at the way the employees of banks and post office talk to people, I admit that we have a bad customer service whether in consulate, banks or hospitals. I have seen the same terrible customer service from the employees of Royal Air Maroc some years ago, but at RAM and to tell you the truth, I've seen a big change in the recent years and I hope all of you did, I’m so happy for that, I stopped flying RAM for 3 years for that reason and took other foreign airlines to morocco, but not anymore. The service and the quality have indeed changed. I’m I right?
The difference here is: in the case for example of airlines, the customer have the choice, if you don’t treat me well you won’t have my money or that of my friends and family. I’ll fly another airline and I don’t even care if it stops in Madrid or Nouakchott before it takes me to Casablanca, but for consulates and embassies, for hospitals, banks and Mokataas, we just have to change our ways.
I just don't know why we can’t.
Salaam,
Almot



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2006 09:26 by almotanabi.

I think we are going into this track

The long term solution of that is privatisation, opening markets, and regionalisation

Why I 've chosen that ? Simple, we can feel that with Ittisalate Al MAghrib (Aka Maroc Telecom) how the service and the quality of the commodity has improved with the issuance of the second license of telephony. With barid al maghrib (aka la poste -PTT-) we can see that with the new services as Fedex, UPS, DHL, Collisimo emerging into our national market with their incredible time management and beter customer service.. Price and Cost wise I think it will stagnate soon when people would be aware of them.

with privatisation, we can feel that the company or entity is responding directly to the maket needs and thus the final end customer making us the direct influense of their decision and not a certain governmental lobby.


As with regionalisation, and here where the adminsitrative procedure will take a hit of change, is to extend regionalisation of the governmental entities to the fullest, to the extent of paying a special tax to the region you are in. this tax would be the income of the local administrative staff (Yeah I know I am making it simplistic for illustrations only :-) ) therefore this will emphasize the development of all the regions of the kingdom and also people would fit in the region that is most attentive to their expectation, making it an imbalance of the other regions which will only try to get those tax dirhams by improving their services and infrastructures and rebalance the distribution of the population.

Today was the day to get it done, great service, very professional, but the person was different


just a remarque 10 to 2 is a little bit tight as schedule