All due respect to the telemarketing profession, if it weren't for rotten eggs, I would never have found Grade A service providers who respected me, my spouse and gave us choices.
Somewhat annoyed at the fact that after all the precautions we take for security reasons, our creditors in this country at least, fail to discover that, if not for the indebted consumers, if not for our zest to be satiated with "buy now, pay never" chrematophobia, the credit tellies themselves would be in a worse predicament than the endless stakes of account in company files. Commence to:
Hole Number Six (continued from Part I of "Don't Test Me")
"Mike", the notorious MP3, steps over the line in civilized customer service and commits the unthinkable:
"So, are you working with some kind of credit counseling company?" to which I reply:
"I've already given you my reason for calling, and that is when I called, I discovered that the person I thought would handle this switched me over to you."
"So" he says, "I guess that means that I have to say that you are unwilling to tell me whether or not you are working with someone else," to which I reply,
"Well, since I don't know your last name I could have been transferred to some insecure department because I don't know you from Adam's missing rib. And if I have to give anybody any additional information, then maybe I should be talking to someone else, like YOUR supervisor."
"Okay, what's your checking account number?"
"You should have that on the screen in front of you if you are who you say you are." He cuts me off mid-sentence. I guess somebody didn't tell him this was not a presidential debate.
So I give him the name of the bank, the automatic ACH amount, and nothing else. Then here come the violins. . .
"Well Mrs. Reed, we just want to warn our customers because we've been having a lot of people pay off their credit cards who say they are working with credit counselors.
"I'm working with a private company."
"You know that a lot of them will retain your money and overcharge you and not let you know it."
"I've check this company out with www.bbb.com, that's better business bureau if you didn't know, sir, and they have a spotless record."
"Well, we're just looking out for your welfare. Do you have a check?"
And I think to myself, More like my money that your bosses will discover is missing from their late charge and interest rate coffers, and more like you will be written up for letting another fish get away from corporate jaws.
"Look Mike" (holding back generating one more premature silver lock of hair) "My spouse and I have checked these people out, been working with them for over two weeks before making a decision, and we just LOVE the way they treat us."
Hole No. 7: MP3 checks all the files in our name. He doesn't ask for the routing number (which I have in case he tries to stir up some more mess). I ask him, "What's the routing number."
MP3 is mum. I proceed to say, "You do have the correct account up (and I read off my account number again.) Now here we go again. . .
"That's not the right number."
"Listen, I've banked for more than 24 years at this same bank, do you want their phone number??? . . . sir ???
Hole No. 8: "Well" MP3 replays his argument, "there are a few zeros in the account number."
"Oh!" You mean those numbers that are just empty place holders. We never had to use those 3 zeros before! Just gave you the basic numbers every time we've ever dealt with our bank, or you. Guess you just discovered that, huh? "
The Ninth Hole: "Alright Mrs. Reed, we've got the files deleted."
"How do I know you all won't hit me with another payment on said prearranged payment date."
"I've taken care of everything, there will no longer be any more withdrawals on this account and I noted it cancelled."
THE NINTH HOLE: I call my bank just to make sure, and tell my favorite teller to let my former creditors discover that they are no longer welcome to play with the family kitty.
© 2004 by cynth'ya lewis reedAll rights reserved.
Author's Note: Aside from the somewhat satirical poison may spew from this read, it was therapy for me! God bless all you excellent counselors out there. Don't take your customers for granted.
His company website is below, and it was an answer from God that he persisted in winning over a stubborn skeptic like myself.
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