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My Vanguard Flagship Services Rep Changed
Old 11-18-2010, 10:06 AM   #1
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My Vanguard Flagship Services Rep Changed

I got an email from Vanguard on a monthly transaction. I noticed at the end, the footnote said any questions, please call _____, you Vanguard Flagship Services Representative.

The rep is a different person than I had before. I'm assuming the other person probably made a job change. I only talked to him once anyhow. The conversation went something like...

Rep: Hello. I'm your service rep.

Me: Hello. I'm pretty much a DIY person when it comes to my investments.

Rep: No Problem. Feel free to call me with questions.

Me: Sounds good. Thanks for calling.
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Old 11-18-2010, 10:13 AM   #2
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Mine has changed a number of times, but I have probably only spoken to one of them once.
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Old 11-18-2010, 10:31 AM   #3
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My assigned rep has changed once in the 5+ years I've been with Vanguard. The new rep called me after taking over and the conversation was almost identical to what T-Al described.
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Old 11-18-2010, 10:33 AM   #4
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Ours called us when we moved to Vanguard two years ago. We've not corresponded since.

Being a Flagship rep must be the easiest job in the world!
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Old 11-18-2010, 11:57 AM   #5
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I have only spoken to my Flagship rep once but he sent me a nice card when I retired. I had mentioned my retirement to another Flagship rep and he must have passed the news on to "my guy".

Just got a letter from Vanguard the other day threatening me with loss of Flagship status if I don't bring my balance back over $1MM by December 15th. I am leaning towards transferring some assets in to keep the status which is kind of silly since I don't really get much more for being FS vs the next rung down - some free stock trades a year and a personal rep who is never available on the two or three times a year I call in. But the card *was* a nice touch.
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Old 11-18-2010, 12:07 PM   #6
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I have only spoken to my Flagship rep once but he sent me a nice card when I retired. I had mentioned my retirement to another Flagship rep and he must have passed the news on to "my guy".

Just got a letter from Vanguard the other day threatening me with loss of Flagship status if I don't bring my balance back over $1MM by December 15th. I am leaning towards transferring some assets in to keep the status which is kind of silly since I don't really get much more for being FS vs the next rung down - some free stock trades a year and a personal rep who is never available on the two or three times a year I call in. But the card *was* a nice touch.

Did you send a letter back saying "I'm trying to focus on retiring, so stop bugging me.".. ... just kidding.
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Old 11-18-2010, 12:11 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chemist View Post
Just got a letter from Vanguard the other day threatening me with loss of Flagship status if I don't bring my balance back over $1MM by December 15th. I am leaning towards transferring some assets in to keep the status which is kind of silly since I don't really get much more for being FS vs the next rung down - some free stock trades a year and a personal rep who is never available on the two or three times a year I call in. But the card *was* a nice touch.
Why WOULD he call you?
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Old 11-18-2010, 12:12 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Bestwifeever View Post
Ours called us when we moved to Vanguard two years ago. We've not corresponded since.

Being a Flagship rep must be the easiest job in the world!
It's probably not a very high paying job, so that's why.........
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Old 11-18-2010, 05:14 PM   #9
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This suggests that the forum could garner more registered users and potentially more ad revenue if it dispensed with dryer sheets and gave everyone Commodore status. Of course, Commodore status confers no special benefits, but you get to impress all your friends with your new faux status.

But to make it real, if you put your birthday in your profile, you get an e-mail and a pop-up on your birthday, too. Regular folks get no e-mail. This allows you to drop hints as in "I got my birthday pop-up last week. Did anybody notice it was different from last year?"
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Old 11-18-2010, 05:48 PM   #10
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I am in the group that got the intro call, and than never gets through to him, when I need him.
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Old 11-18-2010, 10:27 PM   #11
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I am in the group that got the intro call, and than never gets through to him, when I need him.
Well, DIY MEANS DIY........
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Old 11-19-2010, 07:20 AM   #12
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Maybe I need to increase my stake - I just get a recorded message.
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Old 11-19-2010, 07:46 AM   #13
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Maybe I need to increase my stake - I just get a recorded message.
Maybe everyone just needs to realize those folks are customer service reps, not advisors, and then it all makes sense...........
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Old 11-20-2010, 03:37 PM   #14
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I've had the same Flagship Rep for a long time. When ever I call VG (seldomly), I usually get someone else who gives me a logical response to my inquiry. I don't think it makes much difference who you speak to when calling Flagship.

Not sure how VG assigns us to our reps. There must be a plan as DW recently transferred her accounts to VG and we now have the same rep. Coincidence? I don't think so.
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Old 11-20-2010, 05:02 PM   #15
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Maybe everyone just needs to realize those folks are customer service reps, not advisors...
We sort of figured that out since they're called "representatives" and not "advisors."
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Old 11-20-2010, 05:30 PM   #16
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I've had the same Flagship Rep for a long time. When ever I call VG (seldomly), I usually get someone else who gives me a logical response to my inquiry. I don't think it makes much difference who you speak to when calling Flagship.

Not sure how VG assigns us to our reps. There must be a plan as DW recently transferred her accounts to VG and we now have the same rep. Coincidence? I don't think so.
I think VG just thinks it looks more official to have a rep assigned to a Flagship member.

Kind of like if you buy a car at a dealer. They have a salesperson "assigned to you". Seems more personal. But better? Probably doesn't make a difference.
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Old 11-20-2010, 05:57 PM   #17
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Maybe I need to increase my stake - I just get a recorded message.
Nobody called meeeeeee...pout
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Old 11-20-2010, 08:09 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by easysurfer View Post
I got an email from Vanguard on a monthly transaction. I noticed at the end, the footnote said any questions, please call _____, you Vanguard Flagship Services Representative.

The rep is a different person than I had before. I'm assuming the other person probably made a job change. I only talked to him once anyhow. The conversation went something like...

Rep: Hello. I'm your service rep.

Me: Hello. I'm pretty much a DIY person when it comes to my investments.

Rep: No Problem. Feel free to call me with questions.

Me: Sounds good. Thanks for calling.
I hear you. My primary interaction with my Flagship rep occurred this past spring. I was going to a reunion in Valley Forge, PA totally unrelated to Vanguard. When I realized how close I would be to VG, I contacted my Flagship Rep and asked if my wife and I could get a tour of Vanguard. We arrived there late on a Friday afternoon (when I'm sure they would have been happy to have left for the Jersey Shore) and was greeted by my Flagship Rep, a nice young man in a suit, and two tour guides dressed more casually. (I learned during the tour that tour guides all have other jobs at VG and are volunteers to lead tours.) They all gave me a nice tour of the campus and I had my picture taken next to John Bogle's bronze statue (hoping that some of his wealth would rub off on me.)

I agree with other posters - as a DIY index investor I haven't put much stress on my Flagship Rep. But, he did a nice job setting up the tour and treating my wife and me as valued customers during our tour. Even got a couple of VG ball point pens!
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Old 11-20-2010, 08:23 PM   #19
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I hear you. My primary interaction with my Flagship rep occurred this past spring. I was going to a reunion in Valley Forge, PA totally unrelated to Vanguard. When I realized how close I would be to VG, I contacted my Flagship Rep and asked if my wife and I could get a tour of Vanguard. We arrived there late on a Friday afternoon (when I'm sure they would have been happy to have left for the Jersey Shore) and was greeted by my Flagship Rep, a nice young man in a suit, and two tour guides dressed more casually. (I learned during the tour that tour guides all have other jobs at VG and are volunteers to lead tours.) They all gave me a nice tour of the campus and I had my picture taken next to John Bogle's bronze statue (hoping that some of his wealth would rub off on me.)

I agree with other posters - as a DIY index investor I haven't put much stress on my Flagship Rep. But, he did a nice job setting up the tour and treating my wife and me as valued customers during our tour. Even got a couple of VG ball point pens!

Sounds like a fun "field trip". Nice of them to give you a tour.
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Old 11-20-2010, 08:37 PM   #20
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Not sure how VG assigns us to our reps. There must be a plan as DW recently transferred her accounts to VG and we now have the same rep. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Not sure if everyone realizes this or not, but there is only ONE flagship customer service rep, that takes care of all of us FS customers.... After all, he only has to call "some" of us once a year. And,....after all these years, they've only had to send one retirement card. Not a bag gig...

lol
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