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So… This literally just happened a little while ago, right before my shift ended. I swear every time I think I’ve heard it all, people just surprise me. And not in a good way.
So, I work at a bank, and I get a call where the customer wants to know why her card is not working, fair question, we get that a lot.
I pull up the account, past due for 10 days. Now, the bank I work for, if the account is past due the card is still active for a few days, but if you don’t even make the payment for about a week or so, the card is suspended until you pay the past due min. And of course you get notified.
Conversations goes as follows:
Cx: “Why is my card blocked?”
Me: “Unfortunately the account is past due, we did not receive any payment for the amount due last week”
Cx: “Yes I know, I didn’t pay it but I was still able to use my card.”
Me: *Explains the abovementioned process.*
Cx: “No one told me that. I told the previous agent that I wasn’t paying my card because I won’t be able to use it and I am not paying for something I can’t use.”
Now, there’s no comments so I’m flying blind. But sure enough, she has a credit line of X amount, and a balance of X+Y so she is over her credit limit and therefore can’t make more purchases. Now, at this point I have SOOOOOO many questions. But the main one : Why is she complaining about not being able to use her card when she *knows* she can’t use it and says she doesn’t *want* to use it? Anyways, I let her know that since she does have a balance she is still required to make the minimum due every month. And, I am not even kidding, here, she asks **”Why?” She asks “Why do I have to pay for something I can’t use?”**
I am biting my tongue trying to hold back from saying in my most sarcastic voice “Uhhhhh because you already used it and it is your contractual obligation to pay for the balance you already accrued? Maybe? I don’t know.” But I manage to explain that in the most professional way I can. And she still says, “I don’t think it’s fair. I am going to pay it, just not now. I’ll pay it in tax season, but I don’t want my card suspended, or to get any late fees.”
Sure, and I want a billion dollars, but lets take a step back to reality here ok? I again explain that as long as there is an outstanding balance she will be required to pay the minimum due regardless of if she is using the card or not . She did not like this. She started getting all “I can’t use it so why should I have to pay for it” and she even goes as far as to make a comparison with a gym membership “Oh, I got to a gym where I pay per class, if I don’t go to the class I don’t have to pay it.” Yeah, but this is not a per-use gym membership. Long story short, the call goes on for another 5 minutes and finally she says “So you’re not going to re-activate my card?”
Me: “I am afraid I can not do that, this system is entirely automated so we can’t reactivate it manually, I’ll more than happy to help you make a payment for the past due which would reactivate this card.”
Cx: “No I told you I am not paying for something I can’t use. I will wait until I get my tax return and pay this card off and I will never use you guys again!” Then hangs up.
I didn’t get to tell her, nor did I want to to be honest, that if she doesn’t pay the card might be closed off permanently and sent to collections, but hey, at least we were done by the shift’s end.
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