Automated customer service and lost customers

[Moliphino]

I've worked management at 2 retail stores that had their own credit cards. While I could take payments for said cards, most customer service issues had to be handled by the customer service for the cards and I would not have been able to do do anything about a declined card. The card was handled by a 3rd party so I was very limited in what I was able to do. Can you access the account online? You may be able to get more info there.

Yeah, I worked at Macy's for a while. There was nothing we could do in the store aside from open/reopen cards and take payments.

If it was something I needed I would have paid with another card and then tried to sort it out once I got home. If it wasn't something I needed right away I would've left it and tried to sort it out once I got home.

I had an issue with my Capital One getting rejected when I was trying to book some international attraction tickets online before a trip. I did get through to a person, but I don't think they ever even understood what my issue was, they just told me my card was active. Never did get it to work and had to use my other card (which does charge 3% foreign transaction fees) to book.

 

[Lewisc]

A small number of credit cards claim all customer service calls are handled in the United States.

 

[Karin1984]

I would still go to customer service. Even they cannot help with the card, they often do know some tricks around the system or can think along to find other solutions.

And I would have used a different card to purchase what I came for.

 

[kdonnel]

I would still go to customer service. Even they cannot help with the card, they often do know some tricks around the system or can think along to find other solutions.

And I would have used a different card to purchase what I came for.

Customer service at Home Depot might/probably has a phone number that goes directly to a person.

 

[Lewisc]

Customer service at Home Depot might/probably has a phone number that goes directly to a person.

Or they may have a way to chat or send a message

 

[dioxide45]

The Home Depot credit card is through Citibank. Citibank wold be the one to handle any customer service inquiries related to the card. The store may be able to accept and apply payments, but that would be the limit of what they could do in store.

 

[EllieJedi]

The first thing to do when you have an issue like that where you are stuck in a loop with a chat bot is to Google and see if there is a customer service phone number for the credit card in question. Home Depot’s credit card customer service appears to be 1-800-677-0232.

https://www.homedepot.com/c/general_credit_center_faqs#

 

[DaisyDuck001]

The worst is when the system has you enter a bunch of numbers into the phone and then eventually, you get a human on the phone and they ask you for the same info.

Yes! This happens so often and with so many companies. It's crazy that they make you enter all that information and then they ask you again for what you just entered. It's as if they are trying to waste your time and be annoying. I usually tell them that I already entered all that information during the call before they picked up. About half the time they then find it, and the rest of the time they say they can't access it.

 

[disneychrista]

I would have tired the card again. Most of the time it is just a glitch and it will work the second time. And then if It was something I still wanted/needed used a different card.

 

[mikehn]

It all depends what the merchandise is. A bunch of plants, I wouldn't hesitate a second to leave the store. If it was something more meaningful like a power drill, I'd stay and work it out.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I went to Home Depot to get a bunch of poinsettia and mini evergreens. When I went to use my card it was declined, ok, so I don't use it a ton but I did use it maybe two months ago and there has been no notification. Figured I'd call and clear it up because we go between two states so maybe that is why, ok so I call and no humans. This is a general pet peeve buty there was literally no way to get any humans on the phone. So the automated loop eventually irritated me so much I bailed and I walked away without buying a thing because if a store can't be bothered with customer service I am not giving them any money. This made me wonder, do other people walk away or just go through with the purchase even if annoyed? I am disinclined to reward things I do not like, I can buy that stuff anywhere.

Why not just use debit or cash to complete the purchase and figure out the card thing at home. That's what I would do -pull out a different credit card (I don't have any store cards just Mastercard and Visa) or debit it.

 

[Moliphino]

Why not just use debit or cash to complete the purchase and figure out the card thing at home. That's what I would do -pull out a different credit card (I don't have any store cards just Mastercard and Visa) or debit it.

Some store cards give you extra rewards or have coupons that can only be used with the store card. Not sure if that factored in here.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Why not just use debit or cash to complete the purchase and figure out the card thing at home. That's what I would do -pull out a different credit card (I don't have any store cards just Mastercard and Visa) or debit it.

Well, the why is because that is not how I do things. If it happened the same today I would likely also walk away. I am so incredibly patient with humans who are trying but I do not indulge businesses so the whole bot thing just repels me. The Customer Service people couldn't have un-annoyed me so no reason to spread the irritation, those poor people have no control of how their employer manages things.

I know other people would just pull out a different card, just wondering where other people fall along the line is all. No right or wrong to my mind, we all just are who we are.

 

[kdonnel]

I am so incredibly patient with humans who are trying but I do not indulge businesses so the whole bot thing just repels me.

A trick to remember in the future if you are having trouble navigating a credit card company phone tree to get connected to a person is to go down the path of lost or stolen card.

Select that option and you will get connected to a person. When they answer explain you are trying to get connected to someone to help with your problem and they will either be able to transfer you directly into a queue for a person or provide you with a direct number.

As an example, my wife and I volunteered to get bumped from a flight and as a result got issued some Visa branded cards. When I had an issue using them I tried calling the customer service number and the only way to talk to a person was to report the card lost or stolen. All other menu options were just automated systems to retrieve data I already knew. The security people quickly gave me the direct number for future issues I might have and also transferred me directly into the queue to talk to a real person.

 

[sam_gordon]

Personally, I'd rather not waste my time and effort in getting to the store and selecting what I want to give it up when a single card doesn't work. I'd use another card and then try to fix the issue (if there actually is one) later.

 

[focusondisney]

It all depends what the merchandise is. A bunch of plants, I wouldn't hesitate a second to leave the store. If it was something more meaningful like a power drill, I'd stay and work it out.

That’s so funny… I spend forever picking out plants & flowers..getting the best looking ones, shapes & colors I like etc. I’d do whatever I needed to to buy what I picked out. A power drill, eh, I’d leave that & come back for it another time. I guess the plants & flowers would be more meaningful for me.

 

[ronandannette]

Well, the why is because that is not how I do things. If it happened the same today I would likely also walk away. I am so incredibly patient with humans who are trying but I do not indulge businesses so the whole bot thing just repels me. The Customer Service people couldn't have un-annoyed me so no reason to spread the irritation, those poor people have no control of how their employer manages things.

I know other people would just pull out a different card, just wondering where other people fall along the line is all. No right or wrong to my mind, we all just are who we are.

Almost everyone has said they would use an alternate method of payment and consider it the card company’s fault, not the store. That’s what I would have done too. I sometimes stop doing business with companies for all kinds of reasons when things make me mad. I don’t owe them anything. Then again, I also don’t expect them to miss me...

 

[Kim&Chris]

Replying to your original question....yes. My company had a visa card that was hacked after making an online purchase, and trying to get someone on the phone was ridiculous. Eventually I got a human, explained what happened, and they cancelled the card and sent a new one. Next billing cycle, there were charges for a pizza place in San Francisco applied to the NEW business card. We are in PA so why they would authorize those charges is a mystery. Once again, it took me forever to get to a human. Long story short....I cancelled the card.