As promised in yesterday’s post, here are a couple things that I’ve noticed recently that are HORRIBLE examples of how customers/clients (ME!!) are treated:
I have an 800 number that is forwarded to my iPhone. When I want to stop taking business calls, I simply let those coming to the 800 number roll into an answering service until the next morning. I never, ever use my “regular” Verizon phone for outgoing calls, and matter of fact, if it rings, it can only be attributed to one of three. (1) generic telemarketer (2) my friend and client, Rod Farrow, (3) Verizon.
You’ve got it – Verizon spams me on the very service that I PAY them for! They interrupt my life at least once per week — most often times, they call twice a week. Is that any way to treat a valued customer?
And like most of you, I have credit cards. I always pay them online and on time. Matter of fact, unless I make a very large purchase that I simply have to stretch out, they maintain a zero balance, and are paid-off monthly. Since January 1, 2009, every one of them have reduced my credit limitations. When is it ever a time to piss off your best customers?
So I call one of the companies in particular, and I was told that they reviewed all their credit card accounts, and reduced the credit limit allowed on the majority of them — no matter the payment history. One card that had a high credit limit of $15k was reduced to $800. I was told my new credit limit was based on the average monthly amount I charged to the card over the past 12 months.
For those of you playing along at home — this practice screws with your credit rating!! Beacon scores (basically credit risk ratings) are based on several things — one of which is how much of the total credit extended to you is used up.
I understand that the above companies are struggling to do damage control — trying to maintain their existence. What I don’t understand is why any business would allow their most loyal customers to be treated with such disregard.