Help a Snake Out....

[kaasirpent]

I have drafted a letter to the Chairman and CEO of Wachovia to be CC'd to the Chief Financial Officer. I've published it online so that any of you who want to can give me pointers of what to leave in or take out or add. I've tried to remove all anger, but not the frustration. I've tried to be as unwhiny as possible. The last letter (email, actually) I sent to company officers got immediate action (Protection One), and I want this one to be as effective as possible. I'm not trying to be bitchy, whiny, or threatening. I'm trying to convey my frustration with the system and point out where that system has failed a loyal customer of the bank.

So, if you feel so inclined and have the time to read and offer suggestions, the letter has been published here.

[Edit] Further information: I just got off the phone with Visa. Corporate Visa, not the Visa department within Wachovia. They said they do not require the consumer to contact the merchant in the case of fraud. That nonsensical request has come from inside Wachovia.

[Edit #2] I called the Wachovia Visa number and spoke with someone there about two items. First, why I'm still able to use the old card number to login on their phone system when I call. Second, whether or not they actually do require me to contact the merchant.

What I found out was rather surprising. It seems they mailed me a replacement card today. I said, "Today?" and she affirmed this. "I'm holding my replacement card." That caused a couple of almost audible blinks.

It seems that Wachovia's left hand doesn't know what its right hand is up to. I had a replacement card by the 11th of February, yet they are just today mailing me one. All the while exhorting me on every call to cancel the old card, and having not canceled the old card as I specifically requested. This is just getting worse and worse.

Comments

[ex-prunesnp.livejournal.com]

How likely are you to get a new bank over this debacle?

[kaasirpent]

I have two accounts, a "second mortgage" (equity line of credit) and all of my retirement at Wachovia. It would be an unbelievable hassle to move it all to other institutions. I haven't decided yet how pissed off I am. At the moment, I'm not over the hump of disgust enough to want to go to all that trouble.

[buckeyebrain.livejournal.com]

I got a "we found a bug" page. But that may be because I'm on the Sidekick. When I get into the office, I'll look again.

[buckeyebrain.livejournal.com]

Now I see it. I wouldn't change a thing.

[humanbeatbox.livejournal.com]

You should submit your story to The Consumerist (http://consumerist.com). They post stories like these all the time and may even be able to point you to some executive customer service lines to take things right to the top.

[kaasirpent]

I'll check it out, thanks. I'll go this route first, since it worked for me with Protection One, but if I hear crickets chirping, I'll pursue other paths.

[oneeyeddaruma.livejournal.com]

Well said. Provided he goes through the trouble to read it all the way through, it should get a response, at the very least. The last paragraph - where you say it's broken - might be good to paraphrase at the top - so he's more inclined to read the critique of why you've come to that conclusion.

[kaasirpent]

Good idea. I'll add an opening paragraph.

[musemom.livejournal.com]

Angry is good, even threatening hinting at what you can actually do, like post on the internet is good, if this isn't resolved in a timely fashion sometimes works, frustration with a good bit of righteous anger thrown is is very good. Whiny, you've been mean to me, not so much.

I know that you are a busy man, Mr. Thompson, but

Remove this entirely. Who cares how high he is or how busy he is. You are a disgruntled customer who should have been dealt with by those whose job it is to deal with you. He will be mad that he has to deal with it. That is part of his job. do not apologize for inconveniencing him.

And I wouldn't use the word "about"... just say "far to many times to be acceptable I was hung up on by your customer service representatives" or something to that effect. Make him own the employees as often as possible in the letter, YOUR customer service blahblahblah. It lets him know you are holding him responsible for HIS employees, not just the COMPANY, but his.

Also, since you have a knack for this crap happening to you, start keeping the name of everyone you talk to, have them spell it, first and last, with their company employee id, when you talk to them. It usually resolves it the first time and they will never hang up on you. If they get cut off, they will be checking every record they have to get you back on the phone because they know you can find them and report them. Not to mention start burning fires under them with supervisors or CEO's if the keep screwing up.

I get their name EVERY time, no matter how trivial the issue is. If I am calling about a $10 charge that is entirely resolved when I get off the phone... I had their name written down at the beginning of that call. If the call goes south, I go up. I don't waste time talking to different people. If I can't get that same person next time I call, I get a supervisor and get their name. And so on and so on. Trust me, it works. And it cuts down on wait time as well, you can tell them that you are noting the start time of the call...that is something customer service reps are benchmarked on, and it is all recorded somewhere in their system. Every call, so and so, at this time on this date from this number, all recorded and retrievable.

Long comment, sorry. I worked business customer service for AT+T/Qwest in Denver for too long, and have worked as AA for often enough to know what kind of letters start massive amounts of sewage moving downhill.

[kaasirpent]

Thanky. I made some changes and will probably make others based on your suggestions. :)

[dchenes.livejournal.com]

Third paragraph from the end, I would put a period between "action" and "because".

Otherwise I think this letter conveys frustrated-without-whining quite well.

[kaasirpent]

Good point. Done.

[friend-soscho.livejournal.com]

just read your second edit. Good God man. What are they doing there. Did someone take it upon themselves to order you another card when you spoke to them on the 5th?

[kaasirpent]

I wish the fuck I knew. I'm so goddamned sick and tired of this, I'm about ready to scream. And I just may.

[badgerthorazine.livejournal.com]

I just read the letter, sounds good to me so far. I don't know which edit you're at as of the time I read it, but it's looking like a tight complaint letter to me. *hugs*

[fauxklore]

I have 2 suggestions.

1) Say up front that the part of the system that is broken is the fraud resolution process associated with a Visa check card. Just saying that something is broken isn't necessarily enough to get somebody to read the entire letter.

2) Try to tell them directly what you want, e.g. a reply within x days that the matter has been resolved and you will not be liable for the $200