Complaint Review: Capital One Credit Card

As an ex-employee of a telemarketing company contracted by Capital One to provide customer service I'm well aware of its mistreatment of its customers. The treatment wasn't intended to be unfair or dishonest, but is a result of their convoluted card management setup which is meant to provide flexibility for the company in a volatile market. What it creates is confusion, headaches, and gross errors that could easily be fixed if customer service representatives were given the time, access to tools, and authority to do so.

Furthermore, the so-called customer service at my center was really meant to sell ancillary services in order to generate more profits. Customer service in reality was secondary. Our time allotment to solve problems was a three minute average and we had to make a sale of some service such as credit protection or a balance transfer from a different company's card during that time. Unfortunately the tools to solve customer problems were slowly removed from customer service reps (CSR). Also supervisor approval was often required but most supervisors were removed from the floor and put on the phones. It often took five minutes or more to get the attention of a supervisor. Many of us bypassed the supervisors and took it upon ourselves to correct problems.

As a result those functions on our computers were blocked and we needed a call to another office, again only with our supervisors permission. Yet we were denied access to those numbers. I also knew of CSRs who falsified orders for services on the premise that they could be cancelled during the free look time. Fortunately the telemarketing company would fire those caught doing so but the pressure and therefore the temptation was intense. But if the truth be told, much of the problems were made by CSRs making honest mistakes which complicated problems. As they say, garbage in, garbage out.

I believe this was due to poor training. My training as a customer service representative was heavy on selling and light on correcting problems. We were given overall sales goals yet despite have met the overall goal I was fired for not making one of the sub-category goals that produced more profits for Capital One and for having too much talk time (often by a factor of ten) due to really helping irate customers solve problems often on their third or fourth call. At times I used up my allotted time just to get customers to calm down so I could find out what the problem was all about. But such diligent customer service wasn't appreciated by my supervisors or management.

I was fired by being taken off the floor and to an office where I was notified I was terminated. I wasn't even permitted to return to my station to pick up my personal belongings and papers or to say goodbye to friends and was escorted out of the building by a security guard like a criminal caught trespassing. Although a security guard retrieved my main possessions, some were never returned. Nor was I ever given a termination comment form that I was promised.

So when you ask what's in your wallet, check to make sure you still have your wallet. For the lady who was sued, I would think that in most states she would have a course of action to sue Capital One for its error and harassment which was probably due to an unsolicited offer of a credit card that someone else may have gotten hold of and committed identity fraud. She should also file a complaint with her state's Attorney General office and with the BBB; sending copies of her letters to Capital One by certified return receipt mail.

NEVER ignore a court summons for a court date...If you are a "no show," the other side will win a default judgment...even if you don't owe the money.