I just spend over an hour on the phone with Chase. Let me start by saying that every single customer rep I spoke with was incredibly polite and helpful to the best of their ability. What I’m writing here has nothing to do with their efforts to assist me and everything to do with the incredible flaws in the technology and the decision making available to the people stuck in these call centers. First let me start with the background.
I applied for 2 southwest cards based on this article the by the Points Guy, in order to take advantage of 100,000 points from Southwest and to get a hold of the coveted Southwest Companion Pass.
Even though I received confirmation screens on both applications (which I stupidly didn’t save), only 1 application was received. The other disappeared into the blackhole of the internet. I then got my Premier card in the mail, but never received the plus. I’ve patiently waited and when it seemed like way to long, I pulled up the “plus” card application page and called the 800 #.
The automated message told me I was approved and my card was on its way. Now either different 800 #’s should be there for each card or the system should tell you what card is specifically on its way. I waited like an idiot while the deal I thought I had signed up for expired. I then continued to wait like an idiot because the system kept telling me the card was on its way.
So finally I call in to talk to a person after the card hasn’t arrived in a month. I start with the 800 number on the application site. This takes me to lending. The guy was super helpful, but unfortunately he has zero tools to do anything useful.
Rough Q&A below:
Please note – These are not perfect quotes. They’re meant to represent roughly the answers I received and why the system sucks):
Rep: I need your social, name, address and other personal info.
Me: No problem. Here ya go.
Me: I explain the whole backstory. Is there a way that I can the original deal from January? As you can see, I applied for 1 card at the time and had the 50k deal, can you just switch that to this?
Rep: I don’t have the ability to change the deals, customer service has to do that.
Me: Ok, can we ask customer service if they can do that?
Rep: I can’t call customer service, this would only be by email.
Me: Ok can we email them?
Rep: I can’t actually send them anything until you’ve been approved and we have a case number.
Me: How do I get a case number?
Rep: You have to apply for the card.
Side bar – Now i’m sitting here thinking, this guy is telling me that he “believes” I can get the deal switched, but the only way to do that is to fill out another application, let them hit my credit report, then call back in and speak to someone else and explain what the last guy said, and hope the information was right.
Me: So… I can’t get in writing or in any way other than you think they’ll change it before I’m obligated to reapply, hit my credit report, and then call back?
Rep: Pretty much.
Call ends and I decide, screw it, I’ll reapply because I really want that damn companion pass. I reapply through the page that now has a 25k reward on it and immediately call back in.
Rep 2: Can I get all your personal info.
Me: I provide this again (2nd time, but new phone call. I’m not mad about that).
Me: Tell the whole backstory. Now I ask again, can you give the original deal?
Rep 2: Let me look up your application and re-explain that we don’t have the originals.
Me: Ok but can you honor the original deal?
Nope, only customer service can do that. Let me transfer you.
Me: Ok….
Rep 3: Can you provide me your life story.
Me: Provided my whole story (I never left their internal phone system, why am I doing this again?)
Me: Tell the whole backstory (why is this not making it in to the notes area and I have to start from scratch?) Now I ask again, can you give the original deal?
Rep 3: Let me pull up all you applications. Now I”m going to explain what you’ve already discussed about how the original is missing.
Me: But can you honor the deal?
Rep 3: Only customer service can do that.
Me: Wait this isn’t customer service? That’s where I was told I was just transferred?
Rep 3: Nope, still lending. Let me transfer you.
More wait time on the phone. I’m starting to feel pretty frustrated.
Rep 4: Can you provide me with the details of your ancestry and your medical records?
Me: Here ya go. (Yet again, 3 reps in to 1 call. Why am I providing 4-5 different data points with each transfer? I’m in your internal phone network.) I explain the whole story yet again (wtf?! how does nobody get the backstory from rep to rep? where are all the notes that 3 people have put in the system?)
Rep 4: Very politely she explains to everything I know about the deals and how because there’s no original application she can’t give me 50k points. I would need a direct solicitation with that deal to do that.
Me: Then why have the 3 reps before you all told me that customer service has the ability to change the points to the original offer? I’ve spent over an hour on the phone and let you hit my credit score again all under the assumption somebody could make this happen?
We go around and around several more times and I provide the details of the original offer, which are luckily screenshotted on the site of the travel blogger I applied through. I then wait on hold for 5 minutes. I had to be quite demanding for this to occur. They had no intention of honoring that deal.
Rep 4: We can honor the deal. The card is on its way. After you’ve spent the 2k required, please call back and we will switch it to the 50k deal.
Me: Wait, you can’t honor it now? I have to spend the money then you’ll honor it?
Rep: That’s right.
Me: Can I get that by email or in writing?
Rep 4: Nope.
Me: So I have to spend two thousand dollars with the hopes that another customer service rep will honor this and hope you the right notes were put in the application? There’s no way for me to get anything confirming this?
Rep 4: Nope. But it shouldn’t be a problem. She then provided her name and location. Apparently they don’t have ID #’s, which seems strange, or direct phone numbers for that matter.
Do these companies see why this is so frustrating from the outside? I’m not even mad about the points. If the application disappeared in to the ether of the net, then that’s not their fault or mine. It is what it is. Sometimes things don’t go through. Emails get lost. I would have lived with, “nope, sorry you missed the deal”. But there are tons of other breakdowns in communication and customer service in there that are all beyond the reps controls.
My issues:
- Why the fuck does your system not use different 800 numbers for different cards / webpages and actually say which card is coming instead of letting me wait like an idiot. Might also be nice if I’ve already received the card and am using it, you could indicate that instead of saying its on its way.
- Why can’t lending approve the point change? If they can’t why can’t we add a customer service rep to the call, get everything worked out in 30 seconds and even if it’s a “no we can’t do that” then we’re done. No harm, no foul.
- In what world should I need to apply for a card that I only want if the points deal is available but I can only find out that answer after I get the card? This is INSANE.
- Why the hell do I have to retell my personal info every time I’m internally transferred in your system? I’ve now told you my life story 4 times without leaving your building. These transfers should be seamless.
- Why the hell are the details of my questions and issues not immediately pulling up in front of the new rep? Why do I have to explain over and over what the problem is? It makes no sense.
- Finally when you do tell me you can honor the point deal, I can’t get this in writing?! It’s somehow against the rules to just send me a confirmation email saying, this is what we discussed, this was the resolution, here’s a case # and the information of a person you call? Instead I have to spend $2k, call back in month, provide all that information again, and hope the old rep put good notes in my file and the new rep is in the mood to honor them. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO PLAY THIS GUESSING GAME.
This isn’t a rep issue. They’re working within the rules and technology they’re given, but man that technology is falwed. I have no idea what those computer screens look like on teh other side, but I have to imagine there are vastly better ways to do it. Mainly I’m just yelling in to the void and nobody hears it, but this seems like the perfect case study in what these major companies should be looking at changing. It’s really not that hard, at least conceptually.
How to fix the issue:
Empower your reps to make more decision for low value problems. My point change from 25k to 50k is not an expensive decision and it keeps a high income, regular credit card user happy and loyal instead of canceling cards or at minimum having a bad brand interaction.
Better connect your departments. Why can’t the lending guy get a customer service guy on the line and get an answer immediately in 1 call.
Better technology. Why am i authenticating myself at every call transfer and why does your note system suck? Can we not come up with an IT solution that puts my issue in front of the rep immediately and doesnt’ require me to say it over and over.
Let your reps use email? I can’t believe this is even on the list, but I’m amazed that 3 different epople told me they couldn’t confirm bin writing or by email the details of our conversation, the resolution, a direct person and number to follow up with if I had issues. Why the hell can you not send me an email? Now I’m forced to spend 2k and pray and hope.
Anybody else have horror stories or tons of frustration with customer service? Let me hear about it in the comments.
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