Odd Bank Message

[Helena]

.

This is interesting... what's up ??

Just now I called the toll free number for Chase [to access their automated phone line to check my balance] and immediately there was a new and unusual recording saying the bank is anticipating higher than normal call volume in the next few days with unusually long wait times and urge customers to use the automated phone line or the internet.

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[Helena]

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I just remembered something... many months ago I called Chase to speak with a customer service agent. During the conversation I asked the agent where he was located. If my memory serves me right, he said Colombia.

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[Helena]

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Maybe the unusually cold weather this week in the upper Mid-West is the reason [but no reason is given in the message.]


As polar vortex tightens its grip on midwestern US, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures plummet to -75 F

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weat...ealfeel-temperatures-plummet-to-70-f/70007262

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[njhowie]

Coming up on Chinese New Year?

We were going to our favorite Japanese/Sushi joint on Monday night (have the Groupon good for Monday-Thursday) and all the lights were out. Checked online and their website indicated they were closed 1/28-2/7 for Chinese New Year. We turned around scratching our heads and went elsewhere.

Does Chase have call centers in Asia? I believe they have one in Philippines.

 

[marko]

Coming up on Chinese New Year?

We were going to our favorite Japanese/Sushi joint on Monday night (have the Groupon good for Monday-Thursday) and all the lights were out. Checked online and their website indicated they were closed 1/28-2/7 for Chinese New Year. We turned around scratching our heads and went elsewhere.

Does Chase have call centers in Asia? I believe they have one in Philippines.

Chinese New Year starts Feb 5 this year. No idea what else might cause a larger than normal call volume other than 1) a system being down or 2) RIFs

 

[donheff]

Sounds like a new version of "Please listen to the whole stupid message as our options have changed." Chase just wants to chase you away from real agents.

 

[marko]

Sounds like a new version of "Please listen to the whole stupid message as our options have changed." Chase just wants to chase you away from real agents.

+1 then comes the RIF.

Between AI and the increasing cost of employing humans, DIY online is a growing trend.

When was the last time you interacted with an airline employee over the phone to buy/change/cancel a ticket?

 

[Richard4444]

When was the last time you interacted with an airline employee over the phone to buy/change/cancel a ticket?

and in the instances that I have interacted with an airline employee to purchase a ticket, it cost an additional $25.00.

Rich

 

[Lakewood90712]

Sounds like a new version of "Please listen to the whole stupid message as our options have changed." Chase just wants to chase you away from real agents.

It's like the usual message " Due to exceedingly call volume, bla , bla , bla " follows by excruciatingly bad on hold music.

My term is " Don't let the customer land " , keep them in orbit long enough and they will either skip-off or burn up and go away without spending call center resources.

 

[Gotadimple]

Federal employees are getting their back pay this week. I imagine a few need to discuss moving money to mortgages this week.

 

[GrayHare]

In the past had you called them during the last 2 days of a month? Perhaps that message plays at all month ends.

 

[kaneohe]

It's like the usual message " Due to exceedingly call volume, bla , bla , bla " follows by excruciatingly bad on hold music.

My term is " Don't let the customer land " , keep them in orbit long enough and they will either skip-off or burn up and go away without spending call center resources.

Often ,these days, I hear that recording and then a minute later rep will answer. It's almost like a universal recording, not necessarily reflecting real conditions..........unfortunate because you may hang up when help is around the corner, or not hang up because you experienced the former and no longer believe the message when it is true.

 

[MRG]

In the old days when the phones in call centers would get too backed up some folks learned how to purge the queues. It was a fairly common practice.

 

[gauss]

In the old days when the phones in call centers would get too backed up some folks learned how to purge the queues. It was a fairly common practice.

The callers learned or was it the call center employees who learned?

 

[marko]

I mentioned this a year or so ago:

When there is a back up (like with an airline during a snowstorm) I press "9 for Spanish". I don't speak a word of Spanish but 99% of the time the person on the other side speaks pretty good English and my assumption is that the line is much shorter. Seems to work.

 

[COcheesehead]

"Called to check my balance..."

There's an app for this. LOL

 

[MRG]

The callers learned or was it the call center employees who learned?

Call center personnel.

 

[Sunset]

I called Comcast due to an outage , it had a 35 minute wait time, or press 1 to be called back automatically.
Guess what I did

system fixed itself by the time they called back, but I didn't have to listen to the music for over 1/2 an hour

 

[CaptTom]

FYI, one of the banks I use (not Chase) posted this on their web site today:

1/30/19 - Due to today’s weather conditions, all branches in Michigan and Ohio will be closed on Wednesday, Jan 30th.

Customers can conduct business via online banking or mobile banking or by calling the bank’s 24/7 customer contact center at 1-800-xxx-xxxx.

 

[calmloki]

Bunch of people getting 1099s and calling?

 

[Helena]

"Called to check my balance..."

There's an app for this. LOL

I prefer to call the automated phone line. It's usually very quick and takes me directly to my account. That is why this brand new Chase recorded message is so strange and unusual.


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[Nick12]

I mentioned this a year or so ago:

When there is a back up (like with an airline during a snowstorm) I press "9 for Spanish". I don't speak a word of Spanish but 99% of the time the person on the other side speaks pretty good English and my assumption is that the line is much shorter. Seems to work.

I speak Spanish but I do the same thing. I speak English as a first language and I have not been disconnected yet.

 

[prudent_one]

.
there was a new and unusual recording saying the bank is anticipating higher than normal call volume

Maybe what they really meant was "the bank is experiencing lower than normal staffing levels due to a strong economy luring our low-paid call center people away."

Oh, and also that "drive customers away from talking to agents" thing.

You want to talk to a live person? Prove you are worthy by holding for 30 minutes!

 

[bobandsherry]

Perhaps a very simple answer on this. One of their call centers in Chicago suburbs closed for two days due to the weather. While calls will then route to other centers in the US and offshore it's a bit of a challenge to ramp up staff to handle the incremental volume going to those other centers.

 

[MRG]

Perhaps a very simple answer on this. One of their call centers in Chicago suburbs closed for two days due to the weather. While calls will then route to other centers in the US and offshore it's a bit of a challenge to ramp up staff to handle the incremental volume going to those other centers.

+1

You might get the same type message calling a health insurance company on Jan 3, or most mutual fund companies on April 14.