topic Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting? in Credit Cards

Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

PointLager — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 00:54:49 GMT

I've called the Platinum CSRs multiple times over the last few days and every time I get a warning about a longer delay and a suggestion to call back in 24h.

Next, with every issuer I'm used to calling the number for the best card I have with them as I get the best service. For example i would call JPM ritz number to handle issues for Freedom etc. when I call the number on the back of my prestige the CSRs handle issues regarding cheaper citi cards like premier.

with Amex i call the platinum like and ask to handle my lower tiers as well as platinum. I've noticed the last few times the CSRs politely insisted to transfer me to the SPG queue rather than answering simple inquiry about the account. This was account dates/etc related and had nothing to do with the rewards program or something similar so I don't buy that they're not trained on other Amex products.

This is new and it's not a nice change to their practice.

Are they cutting costs? Are they limiting the number of American CSRs (who service platinum) and thus pushing non platinum account queries offshore?

Anyway. This is not good. And despite me keeping my accounts open this year I've shifted the bulk of my spend to chase and Citi.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 01:25:10 GMT

@PointLager wrote:
I've called the Platinum CSRs multiple times over the last few days and every time I get a warning about a longer delay and a suggestion to call back in 24h.

Next, with every issuer I'm used to calling the number for the best card I have with them as I get the best service. For example i would call JPM ritz number to handle issues for Freedom etc. when I call the number on the back of my prestige the CSRs handle issues regarding cheaper citi cards like premier.

with Amex i call the platinum like and ask to handle my lower tiers as well as platinum. I've noticed the last few times the CSRs politely insisted to transfer me to the SPG queue rather than answering simple inquiry about the account. This was account dates/etc related and had nothing to do with the rewards program or something similar so I don't buy that they're not trained on other Amex products.

This is new and it's not a nice change to their practice.

Are they cutting costs? Are they limiting the number of American CSRs (who service platinum) and thus pushing non platinum account queries offshore?

Anyway. This is not good. And despite me keeping my accounts open this year I've shifted the bulk of my spend to chase and Citi.

They were just prioritizing based on your inquiry and figured you were just abusing the line and wasting their time with a simple question that you could find the answer to yourself.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

kdm31091 — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 01:30:01 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@PointLager wrote:
I've called the Platinum CSRs multiple times over the last few days and every time I get a warning about a longer delay and a suggestion to call back in 24h.

Next, with every issuer I'm used to calling the number for the best card I have with them as I get the best service. For example i would call JPM ritz number to handle issues for Freedom etc. when I call the number on the back of my prestige the CSRs handle issues regarding cheaper citi cards like premier.

with Amex i call the platinum like and ask to handle my lower tiers as well as platinum. I've noticed the last few times the CSRs politely insisted to transfer me to the SPG queue rather than answering simple inquiry about the account. This was account dates/etc related and had nothing to do with the rewards program or something similar so I don't buy that they're not trained on other Amex products.

This is new and it's not a nice change to their practice.

Are they cutting costs? Are they limiting the number of American CSRs (who service platinum) and thus pushing non platinum account queries offshore?

Anyway. This is not good. And despite me keeping my accounts open this year I've shifted the bulk of my spend to chase and Citi.
They were just prioritizing based on your inquiry and figured you were just abusing the line and wasting their time with a simple question that you could find the answer to yourself.

Agree with this. Although it may appeal to someone to call the "fancy" number for any old request, the bottom line is that they don't want to be dealing with basic customer service questions about lower tier cards. That's not their job or their department. So of course they will redirect you. It's not about cutting costs; it's about them doing their job and handling their own departments.

I understand wanting good service, but if it's truly just a simple inquiry, the regular customer service numbers will do.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

PointLager — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 01:37:28 GMT

This kind of thinking is what loses clients. It pays to look at the overall relationship. Citi gets it. Chase gets it. Amex doesn't. Amex still insists on dialing your card number when you call from your regular phone.

Chase: live person picks up
Citi Prestige: dual the last four digits

The best employees are ones who make it a personal mission to own the relationship and represent the brand.

I have multiple brands of Amex cards and don't intend to look up every single number. Most of my calls are to plat as this card gets bulk of my Amex spend but when I do call I expect the CSRs to field questions about any of my accounts.

Just because the issue isn't related to plat doesn't mean that I am wasting their time as I view the CSRs being on retainer paid by my Amex fees and the interchange they make off my spend (mostly plat).

Anyway rather than getting into debates about validity of my MO i was more curios to see if this is systemic as it is certainly new and noticed change.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

CreditCuriosity — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 02:01:39 GMT

Part of the reason I pay the AF on the Ritz/Amex Platinum is to talk to a US Based CSR.. Plain and simple.. So I agree with OP on his feelings. Hopefully Amex isn't changing this policy as I don't enjoy talking with an oversees rep. that there is a communication barrier with ( I don't have the patience or time to do circlular conversations where they just don't get what you are asking for). Least Amex chat is decent where I do most of my stuff there. I use the Amex Plat. concierge service some. It is also nice calling the Ritz CSR or JPM one and the same it dodesn't matter which card I call actually on Chase I get re-routed automatically even if I call the number on back of my freedom card to the JPM line.. That is service and partially worth the fee I pay right there. Just my 2 cents and shows they value me as a customer or at least my money being Chase. You are paying a premium for alot of things of this card and CSR's should be able to handle all cards as they have done with me before with Amex.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

RonM21 — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 09:54:49 GMT

I'm one to think they should look at the overall relationships with their customers, but that is just my opinion. That would keep me coming back vs being turned off by them.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 13:22:48 GMT

I agree with OP that they should consider overall relationships. In my company, if you spend $20M a month, your account rep will answer even the most obvious questions for you, those paying $100 a month, well, that's what the website is for!

That said, "overall relationship" may need clarification. There is nothing particularly "high value" about the Plat card these days. Yes, it has a high AF, but in the same way many holders explain that it is worth (airline credit, global entry etc) the profit can be small. So you could imagine Amex using algorithms more like the one above, Plat holders with high spend get treated differently than Plat holders with more normal spend.

CUrrently Chase seems to treat all CSP holders well, which is more surprising as that is a much cheaper card

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 13:31:18 GMT

It's very plausible that cuts have been made. AXP lost some critical programs (Costco as one) and are scrambling on what to do in order to keep those customers from fleeing (and many are), (also not to mention they are carrying a higher debt-to-equity ratio than the industry standard so not in the highest financial health).

I truly believe that unless you are a Paladium, Centurion, or have a private banking relationship we are all going to see the quality in CS take a hit and to become more industry norm and remain that way.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

takeshi74 — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 14:06:00 GMT

@PointLager wrote:
This kind of thinking is what loses clients. It pays to look at the overall relationship. Citi gets it. Chase gets it. Amex doesn't. Amex still insists on dialing your card number when you call from your regular phone.

Every armchair industry analyst on every topic makes this sort of claim and while some do take a downturn, some continue to be successful even though those experts have been unhappy with those companies. If AmEx actually sees a hit they'll respond as they see fit. All you can do is use whatever products and creditors suit your requirements and preferences. If you don't care how they're handling things then don't use them. However, don't assume broad trends based on a single data point.

I don't disagree with your thinking and I've certainly called Platinum CS about other accounts but all you can do is select products that suit you. Whether or not AmEx sees an impact is their business. I rarely call CS for any of my accounts with any creditor and while this would be one consideration it's not a dealbreaker for me but obviously YMMV. If CS is a top priority for you then certainly base your decisions on your priorities.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

kdm31091 — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 14:13:23 GMT

I don't find myself needing to call customer service very often regardless of creditor so for me it's not that big of a deal but if OP finds it a priority then they should select their cards accordingly, I agree.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

DrZoidberg — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 14:44:10 GMT

What' the point of having a dedicated line if people want to use it for anything other than the dedicated product? You can be upset, it's your right. I personally don't see how one can get upset for calling a dedicated number to handle other instances. Delta Gold and Silver members can't get their accounts handled with the Diamond line.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

DrZoidberg — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 14:46:40 GMT

And who still calls? It's all about the chat. I can get way more done in less time.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

PointLager — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 14:52:00 GMT

@drz your delta comparison isn't valid. Airline status is not the same as the airline product.

If you're a delta diamond You don't get booted by Delta diamond reps to general line if you're having issues with an economy award booking. Do you?

In fact , the airlines I'm familiar with do look at the overall customer relationship. As do hotels. If I'm SPG plat I get treated the same whether I'm booking an expensive property or some category 2 hotel n

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

PointLager — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 15:18:30 GMT

@drz agree re calling. Unfortunately Amex doesn't have then SM function and their chat functionality is limited. I've been told to call in for certain things. Calling is still superior if you're taking care of these admin errands while sitting in traffic.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

PointLager — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 15:21:22 GMT

Ultimately I do find Amex customer service superior to their competition in some ways like dispute resolution, extended warranty claims etc.

The CSR experience was highly unexpected from Amex and this prompted me to post to see if others noticed similar behavior. Not to mention the recent warnings of "unusual delays" on the plat line with recommendations to call within 24hrs

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

jamesdwi — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 16:14:27 GMT

@DrZoidberg wrote:
What' the point of having a dedicated line if people want to use it for anything other than the dedicated product? You can be upset, it's your right. I personally don't see how one can get upset for calling a dedicated number to handle other instances. Delta Gold and Silver members can't get their accounts handled with the Diamond line.

simple, if I pay $450+ a year fee, I think AMEX should treat all my inquiries reguarding any AMEX product wiith the same level of service. I pay for platinum level service from AMEX that covers my entire relationship with AMEX. If AMEX can't handle this expectation, I would cancel my Platinum card, if I had one.

Chase understands this, I always call the CSP number when i need anything from chase, i get better service and I paid for better service.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

DrZoidberg — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 16:41:58 GMT

@jamesdwi wrote:
@DrZoidberg wrote:
What' the point of having a dedicated line if people want to use it for anything other than the dedicated product? You can be upset, it's your right. I personally don't see how one can get upset for calling a dedicated number to handle other instances. Delta Gold and Silver members can't get their accounts handled with the Diamond line.
simple, if I pay $450+ a year fee, I think AMEX should treat all my inquiries reguarding any AMEX product wiith the same level of service. I pay for platinum level service from AMEX that covers my entire relationship with AMEX. If AMEX can't handle this expectation, I would cancel my Platinum card, if I had one.

Chase understands this, I always call the CSP number when i need anything from chase, i get better service and I paid for better service.

Wrong. You pay $450 for your Platinum service for your Platinum card. Nowhere does it say they HAVE to provide that level for all cards. It's not that hard of a concept. Just because you pay $450 for one card that has a dedicated line does not mean you are entitled to that same level of service for a card with a zero annual fee. That's their business model and they owe nothing.

Again, this is your way of thinking and it is inline with a lot of others. A lot of people think they are entitled to things they're not simply because they think they're paying for it.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

DrZoidberg — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 16:45:14 GMT

@PointLager wrote:
@Anonymous your delta comparison isn't valid. Airline status is not the same as the airline product.

If you're a delta diamond You don't get booted by Delta diamond reps to general line if you're having issues with an economy award booking. Do you?

In fact , the airlines I'm familiar with do look at the overall customer relationship. As do hotels. If I'm SPG plat I get treated the same whether I'm booking an expensive property or some category 2 hotel n

It is valid if you're looking at my argument right. I said Gold and Silver can't call the Diamond line. Which would be like non-platinum members calling the platinum line for help. You can't expect the Platinum line to handle non-Platinum issues. It's a dedicated line for a reason, to keep non-platinum issues away to provide faster service by only dealing with one particular card.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

PointLager — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 16:51:25 GMT

Process focused is never what makes service providers stand out.

If your waiter is absent and you need something so you summon another waiter who is passing by does this waiter help and get you something like an extra fork or whatever Od do they insist on getting your waiter so you can repeat the request. Think about which behavior is more appreciated by patrons.

The platinum reps or the JPM executive client like may not be required to handle other cards but because they do we appreciate the service that much more. As @CreditCuriousity mentioned earlier this is one of the reasons why we are happy to pay for the Ritz AF. They take ownership of problems. I once had missing bonus URs on my Freedom card and the JPM rep took the issue and resolved it. It's this consistency and seamless delivery of experience that makes us appreciate a company.

Re: Amex Platinum CSRs: Cost Cutting?

PointLager — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 17:01:40 GMT

@drz I get your point. Although I'd find the delta co pRison more akin to someone without a platinum card calling the platinum number and expecting service.

For example, I downgraded my CSP to freedom and I didn't continue to call the CSP line.

But I've subsequently acquired the Ritz card and absolutely call their outstanding reps for all my chase cc needs.