.jpg)
.
I know this, I know, but it still makes my blood pressure rise unacceptably. I am traveling for the next week.
.
I call them to tell them I am traveling overseas, and I want to preclude a fraud flag. I specifically got a card that would allow this. SPECIFICALLY APPLIED FOR A NO FX TRANSACTION COST CARD FOR THIS REASON, I travel a lot.
.
So I call Citibank... Five minutes into a auto-call hell, I finally tell them were I am going. Bosnia. "I'm sorry I didn't understand you." Okay, so it is a little out there, I get it. I say s.l.o.w.l.y "Bos Ni A. "I'm sorry I didn't understand you." Okay, so it is a little out there, I get it. I spell it B O S N I A.
.
Nope, they transfer me to an operator. Okay. Great. Five minute wait on hold.
.
"How can I help you?" I explain and he politely explains I need to talk to the fraud department. OK. Well the automated system put me here... but okay.
.
15 minutes later (including 1 break where the original guy apologised, which I appreciate the hell out of) I get an answer. We conclude this, and I ask for a manager.
.
He says sure, puts me on hold. But wait, later he comes back asking why I want a manager.
.
Is this new? Aren't I allowed a manager? "Well," I calmly explain, "First I wanted to tell him the automated system doesn't understand the country name of Bosnia." Growing more agitated I say, "Second, I wanted give him the heads up that the automated phone system is dumping people trying to give a country travel notation into the wrong queue. Finally," I say, rather annoyed, "I would now like to know when screening for a supervisor became acceptable, because - as an ex-Citi employee I believe that escalations are to passed on regardless. So I would like to confirm this change and then maybe protest somewhere higher, since he couldn't be bothered to listen to me."
.
PS final indignity...
.
After all this, I went on to "contact support" at my Citibank Home Page and entered a note. It failed because it said it did not accept ampersands, hyphens, backslashes or other special characters. Here is my freaking note - it has NONE of those.
.
I called about my Citibank VISA premier with no FX fees account
to inform them of future travel. Here
are the problems Citibank has with the automated system.
1. The name BOSNIA doesn't register, which is
understandable, it is not that popular.
It doesn't register sounded out, sounded out slowly or when spelled out.
2. When a name does not register 3 times it kicks in you
into a general queue, where you have to restate the problem and then they put
you on hold AGAIN for fraud.
3. After waiting 35 minutes, going through the whole thing
and asking to speak to a supervisor, for only the purpose of trying to help
identify problems 1 and 2, I was quizzed on Why do you want to speak to a
supervisor. Now granted I worked at Citi
a few years ago, 2000 thru 2008, but this wasn't the process then; is screening
supervisor queries the process now.
I would have done this online, but I cannot link the new
card to my account for goodness knows what reason. The last 4 digits of this card are (redacted).
I travel excessively and thought it would be good to use my
Citibank no FX card instead of my Chase United no FX card. I believe you need some work on making this
more customer friendly or at least less customer unfriendly. Trying to use the system, and offer any
constructive help, because I like Citibank, shouldn't be this terribly painful.
Regards,
J. Scott Mitchell