Customer Service Today...

kurt · Post by **kurt** » October 15, 2005 10:00 pm

Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die, just in case. This is so unreal, 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 had been $0.00, now is somewhere around $60.00. A family member placed a call to Citibank:

Family Member: "I am calling to tell you that she died in January."

Citibank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Family Member: "Maybe you should turn it over to collections."

Citibank: "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?"

Citibank: "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?"

Citibank: "Excuse me?"

Family Member: "Did you just get what I was telling you . . . the part about her being dead?"

Citibank: "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."

Citibank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Family Member: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

Citibank: (Stammer) "Are you her lawyer?"

Family Member: "No, I'm her great nephew." (Lawyer info given)

Citibank: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

Family Member: "Sure." (fax number is given) After they get the fax:

Citibank: "Our system just isn't setup 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."

Citibank: "Well, the late fees and charges do still apply."

Family Member: "Would you like her new billing address?"

Citibank: "That might help."

Family Member: "Odessa Memorial Cemetery, Highway 129, Plot Number 69."

Citibank: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"

Family Member: "What do you do with dead people on your planet?"

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » October 15, 2005 10:02 pm

Seen that new DHL commercial, have we????

Capt.Flock · Post by **Capt.Flock** » October 15, 2005 10:10 pm

spew

pbans · Post by **pbans** » October 16, 2005 12:07 am

Funny, but I SWEAR things like that happen.

I had a huge go around with Allstate when my Mom died.
True, I forgot to notify them and cancel her car insurance......but it took forever to get it taken care of.....

A year later I had to have a similar conversation with the Sears Motor Club....

davesnik · Post by **davesnik** » October 16, 2005 1:10 am

It's amazing how companies rules and regulations and scripts have turned their customer service people into bumbling idiots. No common sense, very programmed and unfeeling. It's very hard, I think, these days to find decent customer service anywhere. Whether it's at a restaurant, retail, cellular, whatever, people just don't seem to care anymore. It's really sad, I think....just my $.02.

Sam · Post by **Sam** » October 16, 2005 1:56 am

A true story from the mid 80's in Arizona..... a guy got a bill from his credit card company that showed a balance of $0.00. He ignored it.he got another one and ignored it to. he got several more and ignored them. Then he got threatening letters that if he did not pay his bill of $0.00 that they would report to the credit bureau or some other threat ...
He finally called them and and went through everything with him .....( there was no interest ever applied to the account)

He spoke with numerous people about the situtaion and people agreed he owed nothing....... BUT.....
He ended up having to send them an actual check made out for $0.00 to clear up the account through the computer....though the human factor said he owed nothing, the computer still read it as "an amount due"....

davesnik · Post by **davesnik** » October 16, 2005 2:02 am

How silly is that???? I was talking to a client of ours a couple of weeks ago that actually got sent to collections by the phone company for owing $.03. Again, just plain silly.

creeky · Post by **creeky** » October 16, 2005 4:55 am

I have phoned deceased people before .... it is not fun - and is one of the most uncomfortable feelings when their relative informs you they cannot come to the phone.

One woman, was really full of attitude, and me not knowing the person was deceased, kept pushing it ... saying if you will not take a message (she just would say she would not take a message) that I would write to him and get him to call me that way - she responded with that he was dead

Needless to say - she got A+ service to finalise matters from that point

Phins1026 · Post by **Phins1026** » October 16, 2005 10:29 am

phjrsaunt wrote:Seen that new DHL commercial, have we????

Sing it Allison

"What the world needs now........."

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » October 16, 2005 11:19 am

@ Directv we have just close the account and if there
are any fees to be waived we have the executar of the will
send a death Certificate...

what would amaze you are the number of accounts that people
call to reopen after the Death certificate has been filed
(yes we have a note in the file)

" Hi I am Fred Jones and I want to reopen my Account"

Phins1026 · Post by **Phins1026** » October 16, 2005 11:58 am

ragtopW wrote:@ Directv

Speaking of...I saw the new ad last night on TV from the Boise location. Sure would have been cool to see you on there Wayne.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » October 16, 2005 12:04 pm

Phins1026 wrote:
ragtopW wrote:@ Directv
Speaking of...I saw the new ad last night on TV from the Boise location. Sure would have been cool to see you on there Wayne.

yeah I auditioned for the part.

but no love.. thanks Al !!

Sam · Post by **Sam** » October 16, 2005 12:51 pm

ragtopW wrote:
Phins1026 wrote:
ragtopW wrote:@ Directv
Speaking of...I saw the new ad last night on TV from the Boise location. Sure would have been cool to see you on there Wayne.
yeah I auditioned for the part.

but no love.. thanks Al !!

When you did your auditon .... were you in your full parrothead regalia with a margarita in hand or just in your average "typical beach bum" holy shorts sandals/flip flops open shirt and a can of beer in your hand and "Nuke the Whales" hat ???

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » October 16, 2005 12:58 pm

Sam wrote:
ragtopW wrote:
Phins1026 wrote:
ragtopW wrote:@ Directv
Speaking of...I saw the new ad last night on TV from the Boise location. Sure would have been cool to see you on there Wayne.
yeah I auditioned for the part.

but no love.. thanks Al !!
When you did your auditon .... were you in your full parrothead regalia with a margarita in hand or just in your average "typical beach bum" holy shorts sandals/flip flops open shirt and a can of beer in your hand and "Nuke the Whales" hat ???

no But I did have an aloha shirt on..

Sam · Post by **Sam** » October 16, 2005 2:25 pm

Maybe THAT was the problem......

Ilph · Post by **Ilph** » October 16, 2005 3:22 pm

I'm a stickler for customer service. I have a list of places that I won't go to or a list of businesses I won't work with because of their customer service. It drives my girlfriend nuts.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » October 16, 2005 4:01 pm

ragtopW wrote:@ Directv we have just close the account and if there
are any fees to be waived we have the executar of the will
send a death Certificate...

what would amaze you are the number of accounts that people
call to reopen after the Death certificate has been filed
(yes we have a note in the file)

" Hi I am Fred Jones and I want to reopen my Account"

There is no way I'd want to be the installer on that new service... ;D

BadHabitsAcctnt · Post by **BadHabitsAcctnt** » October 16, 2005 5:18 pm

All these stories, just make you shake your head.

12vmanRick · Post by **12vmanRick** » October 16, 2005 7:37 pm

The sad part is you might be lucky if you get that considering the age of automated attendant hell

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » October 16, 2005 9:56 pm

RinglingRingling wrote:
ragtopW wrote:@ Directv we have just close the account and if there
are any fees to be waived we have the executar of the will
send a death Certificate...

what would amaze you are the number of accounts that people
call to reopen after the Death certificate has been filed
(yes we have a note in the file)

" Hi I am Fred Jones and I want to reopen my Account"
There is no way I'd want to be the installer on that new service... ;D

OH no they want to reopen the Account @ the old locations.
and remember that if they run up a huge bill. Who will pay??

the dead person???

Also if they reopen the old account no credit check..