American Express, Delta, and HELL

I need to vent for a moment.

FRICK! FRACK! FRETCHINGFREAKINGDFETTCHFUDGEFRICKINFETCHER! (#@)*)JIDJIFJS:DJIP#U)U($)*@(!!!!!!!(WQ&$*(@****#$&#*(&Q~!~~~~

***BREATH***

SuckasuckasuckaSUCKSUCKSCUK. SEE? It has even gone beyond suck and is now SCUK!

I’m sorry, but the last four hours of my life have been amongst the most frustrating, tense, angry moments I have had in awhile. I have been trying to help my mother figure out her American Express Skymiles today. It has taken FOUR FREAKING HOURS.

When my parents have problems with their credit cards or anything that requires computer access, they call me. (Except for the time that my mom exclaimed that she had “Deleted the internet”. My brother, Rhett was the recipient of THAT call.).

I know what you’re thinking.

“Dude. Loralee is totally technically challenged. WHY would ANYONE call her with issues regarding her computer???”

Well, in comparison with my parents I am a geek-extrodinaire. Besides, it is usually just basic stuff they need done-figuring out spam, navigating websites to buy things online, checking their statements online, etc.

Today was a whole ‘nother kettle of fish.

I have been trying to get a ticket for my mom and airmiles transferred to my account for about a month. There were many problems because my mom didn’t know the PIN number for her Skymiles account and she kept calling AMEX but was unable to get the information from them and she got frustrated. SO…finally I just had her come here so that I could help walk her through it.

I talked to Delta.

Then to American Express.

Then to Delta.

Finally, after an hour we got it all worked out and had a new PIN number issued for her. I hung up, logged into her Skymiles account and I was going to book her a flight to California next month to see my niece get married and then fly her to Minneapolis to see my brother. THEN I was going to transfer 10,000 miles to my account so that I can book my flight to go to Scotland and England with my friend Michelle (We’ve been trying to get this done for quite awhile and my mom finally had enough points that she could have her trip and I could buy the points I need from her).

Easy, right?

Wrong, wrong, wrongity WRONG.

When you go to American Express’s website and log in, there is a section that tells you how many skymiles you have earned. My mom showed hers to be 41,009.

Cool.

When we got her pin number and logged in it showed 30,223. That is roughly an 11,000 mile difference.

NOT cool.

I called American Express. They told me to call Delta. I called Delta and explained. They told me it was an American Express issue. I called American Express back (Keep in mind that the hold times here are between 10-25 minutes to ACTUALLY SPEAK TO A PERSON.). I had an agent that I talked to for two hours, we kept holding, she talked to everyone and their dog, including their internet support so they could log into my mother’s account and see what I was seeing (The 41,000 miles). After so many holds, two hours and talking to at least five different people and departments, she did a three-way conference call back to Delta with me. I couldn’t understand a word he said because he worked in a call center out of India. I loathe call centers in India. Plus, the guy kept refusing to speak to me because I wasn’t my mom. “For security purposes I need your last card transaction.” DUDE. I am ON THE PHONE WITH THE CREDIT CARD AGENT. THEY KNOW I am the daughter and they are ok WITH SHARING THE INFO. They not only spoke to my mother directly but I HAVE VERIFIED EVERY MOLECULE IN MY BODY AT THIS POINT!!!!!!

FINALLY he clued in and agreed to deal with me.

After unraveling and explaining (AGAIN) we verified that there was only error at American Express and not Delta. The AE agent was supposed to hang up with Delta and keep me on the line. INSTEAD, she hung up on ME and I got to hang out with EMILE (Yes, that was his name. I don’t seem to have much luck with that particular name, do I?)

So. I got to call back and start ALL THE FREAK OVER.

I got hung up on.

I called back. I explained yet again. After bickering (Because she was a very unhelpful and unnice person. I still was ok at this point) The person said that she couldn’t possibly just credit my mother 10,000 airmiles and put me on hold.

She sent me back to the automated menu.

I got to start all over the freak again.

I explained. AGAIN.

I got transferred to internet support. It was supposed to be a three-way call BUT… The agent wasn’t on the line like she said and the person I was transferred to said “I can’t help you. I’m transferring you back.”

HE TRANSEFERED ME TO A COMPLETELY NEW PERSON.

“Can I help you?”
“Yes. Give me a supervisor. NOW”

“What is this regarding”

“I’m not telling you.”

“I can’t transfer you without knowing the nature of the call.”

“Uh, YES YOU CAN. I have worked in call centers. Is it preferable? NO. I am doing this for your protection because I have now been on the phone for THREE AND ONE HALF HOURS trying to get SOMEONE, ANYONE TO A; STAY ON THE DAMN PHONE WITH ME AND B: HELP FIX THE PROBLEM THAT IS YOUR COMPANIES FAULT!!!!! Now, you seem like a nice lady and if I have to explain, even in summation this problem ONE MORE DAMN TIME I WILL UNLEASH THE BOWELS OF HELL OPEN ON YOU AND YOU WILL EITHER END UP CRYING OR QUITTING BECUASE I AM THAT FREAKING FURIOUS NOW GET ME A DAMN SUPERVISOR.”

“I’m transfering you, Ma’am”

I do not enjoy confrontation. I am a seriously nice person. UNTIL.I. REACH. THIS. POINT.

AND KEEP IN MIND MY MOTHER WAS OVER MY SHOULDER THE ENTIRE TIME, BITCHING, HAVING A MELTDOWN AND TELLING ME THINGS LIKE, “Did you TELL them that they are SKY miles? You keep just saying “MILES” and My FULL NAME is Katherine LaRee. You’re making it sound like I have two different names. I’ve EARNED those miles!!!”

I seriously wanted to run screaming from my house. I called Michelle and cried and vented instead before heading back into the trenches to finish it all up.

So.

Breath.

At the end of it? I got a competant person who agreed the screw up was with American Express. When I told him flat out I expected them to make this right for my mom he was LOVELY. I would have been fine just getting my mom’s stated miles but he gave her 25,000 because “Clearly, you have been through a really horrible ordeal with our company today.”

He was right.

It saved me from burning my AMEX card in effigy, though.

I feel better for ranting, so thank you all for listening. (And thanks to Chelly and Karen, who got to hear all this loveliness in person.)