The Memory Game
I just got off the phone with a credit card company trying to transfer a balance to take advantage of 0% APR for 12 months, which is what brings this up.
I hate dealing with credit card companies and I hate filling out lease applications, employment applications, etc., for one basic reason – they always want specified information from years ago. I don’t remember my last five addresses. I don’t remember previous employer’s addresses and phone numbers. I don’t remember what phone numbers I have listed with various accounts I set up years ago. I barely have the brain cells available to remember yesterday and plan for tomorrow.
So now because I can’t tell the lady on the other end of the line what phone number I have associated with an alert put on my social security number, a thing I can’t say I really remember doing because I’m not quite sure which life event brought that on (because there are a couple options), and even though I just spent the last 10 minutes successfully answering 50 other questions about me, I have to make a special trip to a bank with the proper identification so they can call the credit card company and make a “visual verification” that I am who I say I am. I guess all the other questions don’t count, only THIS SPECIFIC ONE, and there are no optional questions to divert to in case they run into other people for whom too many moons have passed for a cell phone number from five years ago to be the key information in the forefront of the brain.
I realize this is all for my protection and such, but I’ve transferred balances before without this much hassle.
I am like every typical American woman. I have a household to run, a family to keep up with, and a full-time job. I just spent half an hour on the phone with you answering a barrage of questions trying to get this done, only to have you tell me that because of this one question, not only has my time been wasted, but you're also adding something to my to-do list.
I AM SO ANNOYED.
I hate dealing with credit card companies and I hate filling out lease applications, employment applications, etc., for one basic reason – they always want specified information from years ago. I don’t remember my last five addresses. I don’t remember previous employer’s addresses and phone numbers. I don’t remember what phone numbers I have listed with various accounts I set up years ago. I barely have the brain cells available to remember yesterday and plan for tomorrow.
So now because I can’t tell the lady on the other end of the line what phone number I have associated with an alert put on my social security number, a thing I can’t say I really remember doing because I’m not quite sure which life event brought that on (because there are a couple options), and even though I just spent the last 10 minutes successfully answering 50 other questions about me, I have to make a special trip to a bank with the proper identification so they can call the credit card company and make a “visual verification” that I am who I say I am. I guess all the other questions don’t count, only THIS SPECIFIC ONE, and there are no optional questions to divert to in case they run into other people for whom too many moons have passed for a cell phone number from five years ago to be the key information in the forefront of the brain.
I realize this is all for my protection and such, but I’ve transferred balances before without this much hassle.
I am like every typical American woman. I have a household to run, a family to keep up with, and a full-time job. I just spent half an hour on the phone with you answering a barrage of questions trying to get this done, only to have you tell me that because of this one question, not only has my time been wasted, but you're also adding something to my to-do list.
I AM SO ANNOYED.
posted by Michael and Tiffany @ 3:20 PM
2 Comments:
At 6:46 AM,
Anonymous said…
Even though Dan has been an umbrella theif in the past (until pink & purple became my preferred color), that, fortunately has been his area of annoyance. I used to use Mom & Dad's phone # until we settled in SA since they have had it for over 60 years. You might want to consider using your Mom & Dad's. We're not going anywhere.
Love, Mom
At 7:09 AM,
Michael and Tiffany said…
Huh - that makes a ton of sense. I think, though, I was always afraid that when you give them a phone number, you automatically went on the telemarketer's big hit list and I didn't want to subject someone else to the possible stupidity of my decisions. :o)
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