Have you ever had a bad encounter with a large company’s customer care department? Let me tell you a story that you will definitely find interesting, especially if you are between the ages of 45 and 65.
My beloved Aunt died away in January of this year. I was astonished to see that her credit card had been charged by CitiBank for their monthly service charge the next month. Furthermore, they increased the monthly amount by adding interest and late fines! It is important to note that the card had a perfect zero balance at one point, but it was now around $60. Is it really true?
I called CitiBank’s customer support line, determined to find a solution to this ridiculous circumstance and hoping for some sympathy and compassion. This is how the discussion unfolded:
“I’m calling to let you know that my aunt passed away in January,” I said.
“I apologize for your loss, but the account was never closed, so the late fees and charges still apply,” said the customer service representative.
“Perhaps you ought to give it to collections then,” I said.
Customer service: “It has actually already been turned over to collections because it is more than two months past due.”
Me: “All right, so what happens when they discover she’s not with us anymore?”
Customer service: “They’ll either report her to the credit bureau or the frauds division regarding her account.” or perhaps both!
Me: “Ah, I see. Does she really believe that God will punish her for failing to pay her credit card bill?
Excuse me, says Customer Service.
Me: “Are you aware of what I just said? My aunt has passed away.
“Sir, you’ll have to speak with my supervisor,” said customer service.
After that, I was moved to a supervisor, who I thought would be more sympathetic. This is the course of that conversation:
“I’m calling to let you know that my Aunt passed away in January,” I said.
Supervisor: “I apologize for your loss, but the late fees and charges are still applicable because the account was never closed.”
Me: “So you’re saying that you wish to obtain property from her estate?”
Supervisor: “Um…Are you representing her in court?
“No, I’m her great nephew,” I said. But if you need it, I can provide you the details of her attorney.
“Could you fax us a certificate of death?” said the supervisor.
“Yes, I can do that,” I said. (A fax number appears.)
(Following receipt of the fax)
“Our system just isn’t set up to handle cases like this,” said the supervisor.
“Oh, I see,” I said.
“I don’t know what more I can do to help,” said the supervisor.
Me: “Well, that’s terrific if you find it out! If not, though, please continue billing her. I don’t think she will give a damn.
Supervisor: “Well, there are still late fees and charges in place.”
“Okay, would you like her new billing address?” I said.
Supervisor: “That could be useful.”
“(Odessa Memorial Cemetery #### Hwy 129, given plot number)” is what I said.
Supervisor: “That looks like a cemetery, sir.”
Me: “So, how do you deal with the deceased on your planet?!”
Even though this unpleasant experience was amusing in retrospect, it highlights the difficulties we endure when interacting with large organizations’ customer service divisions. In the hopes that instances such as these may motivate businesses to enhance their procedures and systems in order to better serve their clients, especially in exceptional cases such as the one I encountered.
Recall that you should never be scared to defend what is right if you ever find yourself in a situation like this. Remember to maintain your sense of humor as well!