It helps to be local

My client has not received her retroactive payment.  I have been trying to reach a representative at the Social Security office in San Francisco.  ( I will not state which one so that I do not embarrass anyone there.)   I kept calling the general number but they did not answer their phones.  My client and I left phone messages for the claims representative working on her case, but she did not return our calls.  I could have written or faxed and maybe I would have received a response at some unknown point in the future.  I could have called the 1-800 customer service number.  With all due respect to the Social Security Administration (“SSA”), I know I would not have received a satisfactory response from calling that number.
I decided upon an “old school” method to reach someone human at the SSA; I went there in person.  Other people had the same idea.    I guess they could not get through on the phone either.  I learned that there was no particular reason why the case was being delayed.  A supervisor approved the payment on the spot.  Perhaps it will take a few more weeks for client to receive her money but it is far shorter than it would be if I had written in and was waiting for a response.
I wonder how attorneys at national firms are able to represent claimants effectively.  Despite the existence of  amazing technology, I have learned that  it sometimes takes a personal inquiry to obtain a result.