A+ customer service
Written: Oct 03 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Awesome Customer Service
Cons: NONE
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| en7489's Full Review: USAA |
I have done some business with USAA, and knew that they were good, but a recent event made me believe that they have one of the best customer service programs going. Let me explain:
My wife received a phone call that her grandfather was in the hospital and not expected to make it past another day or two. We decided that the best thing to do was to put her on the first plane we could get her on. Being pretty strapped for money at this point, I decided to call and see if I could "up" the limit on one of my credit cards to cover the flight. I chose one that I would only need to go an extra couple hundred dollars to cover the ticket and called their customer service (I should have tried USAA first, but that card is close to "maxed out", and didn't want to extend that much credit).
Well, we had set up the plane ticket, and it was departing in 4 hours. I got on the phone with the other credit card company, explained to them the nature of the request - I have a family emergency, I need to increase my credit limit to cover the ticket. They decided they needed to go through the process of applying for the increase, etc, etc, and that it would take 24 hours to get approved. I asked to speak with a supervisor, explained the situation again, and was then told it will take 4 -6 hours minimum to approve. By this time the plane was about 3 hours from take-off, and I tried as hard as I could to relay that to the supervisor - but they were firm that it could go no faster, that they understood my dilemma and would do their best. I started to panic and asked about what would happen if I just used the card anyway, willing to pay the over-the-limit fees pending approval of the increase, could they simply authorize the purchase, whatever. They told me that a charge over the limit would only be allowed up to a certain percentage, and that at the cost I was looking at, the card would be declined.
Panic set in deeper. I had to pay for this ticket, especially now with only 2 and a half hours to go. I grabbed my USAA number and called them. Again, I explained the nature of the emergency, and the angel on the other end really seemed to understand my plight. She asked me a couple questions (how much of an increase, etc). I told her I didn't have much time, how fast can we do this? She asked me to hold, then came back on and told me she had explained the situation to the underwriters, and he would handle it from there. I spoke with the underwriter, and he asked me a couple questions - some credit questions, and how much did I want to increase? Because of the balance on the card, I told him I needed 1000 to cover the ticket, I don't care, I just need to pay for this ticket, and will sort out the finances later. He went silent for a couple seconds (though I could hear the keyboard in the background), then came back on the line and told me that he had increased my limit by 1300, enough to cover the ticket and a little extra for expenditures if we needed it. Was there anything else he could do for me? I wanted to jump through the phone and shake his hand! Total time with USAA- 15 minutes. Total time with the other company - 30+ minutes (and I'm STILL waiting for their answer - 18 hours later).
I know now that there is a company out there who truly values their customers, and more importantly, they take the time to listen to their customer's needs. They all reacted as if this were their own family emergency, at least to the point that they understood that I either needed an immediate answer, or I had to move on to other options. They didn't waste a second of my time, in fact, the girl I first spoke with told me that I could either hold, or that she would call me back within 5 minutes, so if it wasn't approved, I could work on my other options.
This company obviously is doing something right, and I will be sure to send them as much of my business as I can in the future. I wish I could remember the names of the two people I worked with, but unfortunately, I didn't write them down. I will however, be sending a letter to their company thanking them for this.
To the other bank - you've just lost another valued customer to USAA.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
en7489
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Location: Massachusetts
Reviews written: 61
Trusted by: 6 members
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