Wow, Citi: Train your CSRs!
August 7, 2006
I just spoke with a Citibank Online rep who, upon ending our call, asked if he could make a small suggestion regarding my accounts. “You have,” he says, “quite a lot of e-savings accounts.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, you have a lot of e-savings accounts, were you aware that if you do not have e-savings accounts linked to your checking account, you will only be getting the 5% annual percentage – that is 4.75% monthly, on the one account and the other accounts will not be getting the high interest rate?”
*interest piqued, does this guy know anything?* “Really, that’s interesting, do you mean to tell me that if each of my e-savings accounts are not linked to their own separate checking accounts I will not be getting the high interest rate? What rate would I be getting?”
“Yes ma’am!! You would only be getting the day to day interest rate and I can check and tell you what that rate would be!”
“Really, because I specifically checked if there were limits on the number of e-savings accounts I could have at the advertised rate.”
“Oh, uh, er, yes let me check on that please could I put you on hold for just a short minute ma’am?”
“Sure..”
a minute later:
“Oh, uh, I checked that and you’re absolutely right ma’am, yes, you are getting the full high interest rate that you seem to be getting ma’am.”
“Yes,” as I peer at my statement with each account’s interest earned and rates looking kosher, “yes I do believe I am right. Thank you, good night!”
“Thankyougoodnightma’am” *CLICK*
Which leaves me wondering, what on earth kind of money-making opportunity did he think he saw? Or did he actually think he was really actually helping me out? What an odd fellow.
hey ms miniducky, thanks for your comment. i’m definitely never lending money to anyone every again (besides my parents. maybe). I totally feel your frustration with citi. I love them, love their services, have more accounts with them than I can count on one hand, yet can’t help but wonder what their executives are thinking. They are superb in offering the best rates, but sucked with customer service. once i went into a branch to deposit a check but had forgotten my debit card. so i went up to a customer service person and asked if I could deposit via a teller instead. he said, nope, you have to do it with the atm’s or walk 5 blocks to the next branch with tellers. totally didnt make sense cause there were 5 other employees standing there doing nothing…
Hey PP’n’me,
It’s a tough lesson to learn, I feel like I have to relearn it every time the situation comes up!
I wonder if a letter to the CEO (of course that means the secretary or someone like that) of Citibank is in order. If I get cranky enough with all this nonsense … š
And honestly a lot of times I can’t tell if it’s the CSR or the policies that are more nonsensical. I don’t like to blame the peons if they’re not just being obstinate – but I just can’t tell.