Credit Card

I have a bank credit card with one of those “chips” in it. You can’t slide it through a card reader – usually – though sometimes you can. Normally the card must be inserted into the card reader. But the chip was failing, and the card reader often said Card Read Error. So this morning I had enough of that and I called the phone number on the card. I wanted to ask for a new card. First, I went through a multi-step identity verification process – last 4 digits of my SSN, zip code, secret PIN number, etc. Then I was put into an automated queue wherein I was presented crummy music, occasionally interrupted by a female voice that said, “All our representatives are busy – please stay on the line.” After 5 minutes of that I punched End Call and went onto the bank’s website to send them a message. In the text box I typed “My credit card chip is failing. I need a new card.” I hit the Send button.

That concluded my business with the bank, so I stood up and went out the front door to get my mail. There were two envelopes in the mailbox. One was from the DMV – a new vehicle registration card. The other envelope didn’t say who it was from. But when I opened it and looked inside, there was a new bank credit card. “Wow,” I thought, “From requesting a new card to getting a new card in the mail was only 30 seconds.” That must set a record for customer service. Say what you will about my bank, their customer service department is on fire! Thanks, guys.