After my last open letter to Citibank, I did not expect to have to rant away again so soon about Citibank’s appalling service.
I just received a “courtesy call” from a telebanker who tried to get me to sign up for a credit card balance transfer. This basically entails me transferring my card balance from another credit card to my Citibank card at a “lower interest rate” and “small administration charge”. This adds up and I’m not stupid so I said no thank you not at this time.
Then he said “One other thing” (reading from a script?) and asked if I wanted to make use of their auto-billing service where I use my credit card to automatically pay my bills every month. Again, I said no thank you.
And here’s the clincher:
He said “So, how do you pay your bills every month?”
At which point I got really pissed off and I said “I think that is a private matter don’t you think?” I mean, why assume I pay bills at all? Maybe I have a sugar daddy who pays all my bills for me? Or maybe I’m just a traditional soul who traipses off to the post office every month to queue with the masses to pay my bills? Or maybe I just don’t pay my bills at all until I receive the red letter threatening to cut off my electricity, telephone, sewage service…
I mean, I try to be polite to these telebankers because I know they are just doing their job. But hell, Citibank, at least put your staff through some form of training first before unleashing them on the unsuspecting public!! If only they are as diligent in following up on my replacement card as they are in trying to make me sign up for programmes.
*grumble*
{ 8 comments }
Hmm…that’s curious…I’ve never actually gotten bad service from Citibank yet (apart from the irritating ‘reduced interest balance transfer’ calls – you’d think they’d CHECK your payment habits BEFORE calling!)
PS: I think they were referring to your payment method when they asked “So how do you pay your bills every month?”…heehee…
Beetrice: I never used to have bad service from them too till now. When it rains it pours! And no, he meant to ask how I pay my utility bills every month.
Ohhh…I get that “pay using credit card and get x2 points” nonsense all the time as well (takes ages to be able to redeem anything)…
I’d have done that long ago if it wasn’t for the decent credit limit they gave me for my work use…
oooh, I absolutely hate those telemarketers for credit cards as well! so pushy, so auto-response, so… so… and I’m so shy to say I used to be one too, but that was more than 12 years ago! *blush*
I prefer to pay my bills via Maybank2U.
hehehe..I had a similar frustrating phone call with my credit card company yesterday also
Banks use contractors to make such calls for them. Some of them cannot even speak English properly. Sometimes, better to stay with the not so popular banks who would go out of their way to please you then to go with a popular bank who thinks they are your solution. Sometimes, it is just how you handle a potential customer that is important. I cannot remember how many cards I have cancelled over the years due to just bad service.
dont trust citibank introduce a friend program. they are not genuine with their rewards. i introduce 18 friends. and only 8 got approved. even the one with platinum card got rejected. must be if 10 approved they have to give me notebook. look at the damn reply as below. they dont even review the situation.
Dear Mr Shiro,
Thank you for your e-mail dated 3/16/08 regarding card application.
We are sorry for the rejection of the application. However, as part of
our confidentiality policy that we are unable to reveal the reasons for
rejection. The approval is determined by our credit committee.
In general, the criterias are based on the documents that you submitted
to us such as your EA form or EPF statement, your previous statements
of
accounts and proof of employment, etc. There are specific guidelines
that governs the approval but we are unable to disclose them.
We hope the above clarifies.
Thank you for using Citibank Online and have a nice day.
Regards,
Gopinath Goval (Mr)
Internet Service Support
Citibank Berhad
Important:
Please do not send any account instructions and confidential details
such as credit card numbers, changes of address, PIN numbers,
passwords,
or other important information through regular emails.
For Citibank customers, please send your account instructions and
confidential details by logging in to Citibank Online
(http://www.citibank.com.my) with your Credit Card or ATM Card Number
and I-PIN and use your Mail Box to compose a message.
Original Message Follows:
————————
Form Message
subject:Contact Us (Pre-Login)
Handphone:0124098163
Email:shirockw@yahoo.com
Address:Puchong Selangor
Your message for Citibank:To the complain department.
I am very upset with Citibank as promised in the last year promotion on
the “introduce a friend rewards”. Me and my friend Lim Kim XXX work
hard
and supposed to get a notebook after introducing 18 person to this
program but only 8 person are approved. The rest are rejected for no
reason? Even the one with Platinum card? Is this just to attract people
to introduce friends but limit the rewards.
We even deliver all the forms ourselves to the Citibank HQ and
requested
for chop sign receive.
Hope there is an explaination on why we are not getting the notebook
and
why the other 10 person was rejected. Maybe Citibank isn’t genuine with
their rewards though.
ReferenceNum:00396346