Thanks in part to the “financial crisis of 2008″…whose after-affects remain resonant in the minds and real lives of millions of people, this iconic brand has been the subject of countless critiques and criticism, including the re-purposing of their corporate name from Citibank to “Sh*%tyBank” by certain fun-loving anti-brand protagonists who believe that major banks care only about their bottom lines, and least of all, the consumers they exploit .
Even this blogger has, up until recently, been in the camp that decries the big banks that rest on the fine print that can’t be deciphered, and does everything to squeeze as much money as they can from the millions who have few alternatives re: credit card services. Until that is, last night, when I had an encounter via phone with a Citibank rep in connection with a notice I received about a credit pending to my account with regard to a Citi-promoted credit protection service I had apparently subscribed to during the 2000-2004 period.
The phone number included in the mailing directed me to a lovely lady who answered with “Hi, I’m Cathy xxx (no need to broadcast her last name here)…”I’m your Citi representative based here in Orlando, Florida and I’m here to help you..”
1. The Citi script was perfect..it provided subliminal comfort by immediately informing me I was speaking with someone here in the US (when one typically finds themselves speaking with an outsourced call center staffer with less-than perfect grasp of English and located in a different hemisphere) and their mission was to help me.
2. Before I could fully pose my query in connection with the notification, “Cathy” had my entire Citi history dispalyed on a screen in front of her, and immediately told me why I was calling and explained that I would be receiving a credit to my account that very evening.
3. After that’ business’ was concluded, Cathy offered to address any other concerns I might have. So, I figured that I should raise the issue of the usurious interest rate that seemed to be stuck to my corporate credit card account for the past 5 years. Cathy placed me on hold for 2 minutes and then came back on line, this time with her associate “Angela (whose last name is not necessary to post on the internet), who introduced herself in the same way Cathy did and told me where she was located (Atlanta).In less than 5 minutes, Angela advised me that she was authorized to reduce my annual interest rate by 30%, a change that if accepted, would be implemented immediately.
I had actually attempted to secure the same type of reduction for each of the past 4 years, with barely a budge in the rate. Angela made me feel like a VIP and we proceeded to talk about sports teams and the weather in the northeast vs. southeast. Bottom line? I had 2 different experiences with 2 different Citi employees in 2 different locations, working in 2 different departments. Both of those engagements left me with a warm and cozy feeling and I now tip my hat to Citi for flawless customer service.
Citibank's New Strategy: Cozy-Up to Customers; A Case Study
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