Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die. This is so priceless, and so easy to see happening, customer service being what it is today. A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance, which had been $0.00, now is somewhere around $60.00. A family member placed a call to Citibank and this is approximately how it went:Family Member: "I am calling to tell you that she died in January."
Bank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."
Family Member: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections."
Bank: "Since it is two months past due, it already has been."
Family Member: So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"
Bank: "Either report her account to the frauds division or report her to the credit bureau, maybe both!"
Family Member: "Do you think God will be mad at her?"
Bank: "Excuse me?"
Family Member: "Did you just get what I was telling you - the part about her being dead?"
Bank: "Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor."
Supervisor gets on the phone:
Family Member: "I'm calling to tell you, she died in January."
Bank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."
Family Member: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"
Bank: (Stammer) "Are you her lawyer?"
Family Member: "No, I'm her great nephew." (Lawyer info given)
Bank: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"
Family Member: "Sure." (fax number is given)
After they get the fax:
Bank: "Our system just isn't set-up for death. I don't know what more I can do to help."
Family Member: "Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. I don't think she will care."
Bank: "Well, the late fees and charges do still apply."
Family Member: "Would you like her new billing address?"
Bank: "That might help."
Family Member: "Odessa Memorial Cemetery, Highway 129, Plot Number 69."
Bank: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"
Family Member: "What do you do with dead people on your planet?"
4 comments:
Yes, Customer service has gone downhill over the years. Not only from the employees side but the public demands have also become outrageous and rude. For some reason many customers expect this high standard when THEY are the customer but they don't have the same standard for themselves. It should be mandatory for every high school kid before he or she graduates to work in a customer service job for 3 months (ex; McDonalds, Movie Theatre) to experience the rudeness from the customers end so they will learn how it feels to be treated poorly which in turn will hopefully teach them when they are the customer that the employee is not their slave to mistreat.
Are you turning into a Communist? Is this from working at B&N?
I realize that you are almost 50 but that is no excuse. I must inform you that the previous comment was made by the OTHER Slade and not the poor schlub that works part time at BnN.
I agree that more and more people behave rudely toward others. This is the result of a general trend toward disrespect of others in our daily dealings. I do NOT agree with his comment on requiring employment of this sort as a teenager. That would be contrary to my principles.
I do realize it is unrealistic and not reasonable to make kids work in customer service but unfortunatly the examples these kids have on treating people with respect are there parents and in a lot of cases it's a pretty poor example. I can vouch from my experiences when I see the way parents act in front of their kids in my business.
No wonder many companies are going towards computers anytime they can to replace a unqualified human. For ex; automated phone answering. Not that I like having to wait for all my options on a phone so I can pick a number but the real issue is the incompetence of the workforce. They have been taught nothing about being respectful, they are lazy and they have absoulutly no communication skills. They are late, don't show up for work or need a three week vacation after two weeks of work because they are now stressed out. The way things are trending voice communication will be a thing of the past and the only way people will communicate is by Im'ing each other or e-mail. No wonder people are not able to communicate in a respectful manner. People quit jobs by e-mail, break up with someone by e-mail, etc. That sure makes it easy doesn't it. Don't be surprised if sometime down the road a parent gets Im'd from their kid say Hey mom and dad, I'm really sorry but I just totaled the car or a daughter's e-mail says, Mom and dad, just wanted you to know I accidently got pregnant. Isn't it becoming such a friendly world? :)
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