Archive for January 31st, 2009
101 ways to keep Credit Card Calls away
I love credit card for it gives me convenience to make purchases without carrying cash and pay it in the next month. But I hate being called every now and then requesting to take Free Lifetime credit cards of every other bank in this country.
At work we know credit card people are on hunt when telephone start ringing in sequential manner one by one. They know entire telephone number ranges for various companies! Don’t know why the companies avoid placing all these numbers in National Do Not Call registry? Anyways when telephone on my desk rings I know beforehand that the call is for a credit card. Here are few of my responses
1) I hear ‘Hello’ and after confirming it that call is a Genuine Credit Card call by background noises I reply ‘Credit Card?’ and the other person hangs up 
2) I pickup the phone and the person is so eager that he starts right away “Hello Sir, I am calling from XYZ Bank. Our Bank is offering a free lifetime credit card…” I interrupt “Are you a XYZ bank employee? ” to which reply is “Yes Sir, I am calling from XYZ Bank”. Me: “Can I have your employee ID or corporate email id?” to which reply is “Sir, I am calling from XYZ Bank”. Me: “Yeah I am sure you are calling from XYZ Bank… If I make a call standing in Parliament House that doesn’t mean that I am a Member of Parliament. Can I have your ID or email”. Him/Her : “Sorry sir, we are not allowed to disclose that”… Me: “Then I am not eligible for your card”… …
3) “Sir I am calling from XYZ Bank. Our Bank is offering a free lifetime credit card… You get cashback on Petrol Pumps” … Me: “But I don’t have a Car! Do your Bank offer Car Loans?” Him/Her: “Yes Sir, but our Loans deptt handle those requests. As I said you get cashback…” Me: “Can you please ask your Loans department to call me, we can talk on Credit Card Later” …
4) “Hello Sir, I am calling from XYZ Bank. Our Bank is offering a free lifetime credit card…” me: “I surely would like to have your credit card, but I am not on payrolls of this company, I am a vendor here” him/her:”From which company sir?” me: “< here I name a small company randomly >” him/her after searching some pages: “Sorry Sir, you are not eligible”
5) “Hello Sir, I am calling from XYZ Bank. Our Bank is offering a free lifetime credit card…” me: “I already hold that card, I also swiped it at merchant location but haven’t received any statement” Him/her: “You might receive it in a week… Thank you sir”
6) “Hello Sir, I am calling from XYZ Bank. Our Bank is offering a free lifetime credit card…” me: “I am sorry but I have faced problems using credit cards from Banks where I don’t have Savings Account… Can you help me get me a Savings Account also with/before the credit card?” Him/her: “Sorry sir! we cannot help you in Savings account but you can always make payment online” Me: “No, I prefer to set autopay” Him/her hand up after parting greetings.
That’s only 6! I hope to hear 95 others from you, or may be just one… Can you comment on how you handle Credit Card Calls?
