Not a customer, but a call-center rep...

[FuzzyKitten99]

Ok, right now, I am about 3 days late on a credit card bill, due to a hiccup in our finances & my hours being cut at work. I should have the money by next week & be all caught up, and hours are more plentiful as back-to-school season kicks off. Though of course that doesn't stop the creditor from calling.

I get a call from them just a few minutes ago. Here is the conversation. I think this is the most dense bill collector I have ever dealt with in my life, and I have only dealt with them once before about 7 years ago, when I got laid off and had to play catch-up for 6 months.

Me:
CreditCard Company Rep: CCR

CCR: We noticed that you are a few days late on your bill. Is there any reason why you are late?
Me: Yes, I know I am late. My hours at work have been cut and due to some unexpected expenses, it will be at least a few weeks until we can come up with anything. My husband and I are really tight right now, especially with gas prices. It takes $70 just to fill up one of our cars, and we have two that we use regularly.
CCR: Is there an estimate if or when your hours will go back up?
Me: Well being it is back-to-school season, we should be fairly busy, but that won't guarantee me more hours. They are restructuring corporate and store management which will free up payroll a bit, but until that is completed (by the end of the month), I can't give you an accurate timeframe, but we are doing what we can to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. I have two young kids, and it would cost too much in daycare to put them in it, and I would have to find a job that pays $17+/hour minimum just to afford childcare plus the added fuel & maintenence costs of me commuting daily. My last FT job I only made $12.50/hour. Use common sense and do the probability of my landing a job making $17 when my experience may get me $15 at most, and in this job market, good luck, Chuck.
CCR: Well, are there any other income earners in the house besides yourself?
Me: (a little confused) Uh, yeah, my husband, who is the breadwinner.
CCR: Can't he help you out with the bills?
Me: .... (short silence) Uh... did you not just hear what I said when I said we can barely afford to fill our cars up? When I said that, I didn't mean "we" as in myself and some random tree squirrel in the yard. "We" means my husband and I. Together.
CCR: So he can't help you or won't help you?
Me: (asking myself if she's entirely serious about her questions)..... Did you not just hear me tell you that I am married?
CCR: I am trying to get you to answer a question that you refuse to answer---
Me: (cutting her off) No, you asked me the same question rephrased as if I never answered the first one or as if you never listened to the answer clearly enough in the first place. I said I was married, yes? Then I said WE, as in my husband and I, don't have enough money right now. What on earth could you possibly derive from that, that he somehow has more money coming in? I don't know what your definition of marriage is, or what planet you are from, but MOST married couples in this country pool their income and expenses. Even if we did do our finances separate, as my husband, do you REALLY think he would let my credit go to Hell and not help me out if I needed it?
CCR: So, you refuse to answer my question then?
Me: I just did. You weren't listening. Again.
CCR: Well since we could not come to a payment arrangement, I have to get you to my supervisor...
Me: Fine, whatever.

At that point I had to hang up though, cuz the kids were starting to fight.

[Bright_Star]

In a perfect world, nobody would ever have a late payment for anything. But this is real life & sometimes shit happens.
From time to time, we've all had to pay a bill late. Does that mean we're low lifes? Nope.
Credit card company reps & bill collectors act as if we had money just pouring out of our assholes. There's only so much money to work with during a given payday.
I say this:if you gotta be late then be late. They'll get their moolah eventually.

[FuzzyKitten99]

In a perfect world, nobody would ever have a late payment for anything. But this is real life & sometimes shit happens.
From time to time, we've all had to pay a bill late. Does that mean we're low lifes? Nope.
Credit card company reps & bill collectors act as if we had money just pouring out of our assholes. There's only so much money to work with during a given payday.
I say this:if you gotta be late then be late. They'll get their moolah eventually.

Oh I know, I honestly am not really worried about it.

My bunk with her was that she seemed to have no listening ability whatsoever.

The other card that I am late on called and even said that they will do what they can to keep the calls to a minimum, now that they know my situation. They were really polite and said they know that food & shelter & transportation are first priorities, especially with kids. Hell, I'll probably pay them first chance, being as they were not rude or trying to scare me, like some try to do, and the guy listened to me and was really sweet about it all.

[smileyeagle1021]

I'm sorry, but I'd say the CCR went from stupid to full out sucky the instant they asked "so he can't help you or he won't"
my answer would be along the lines of "that is none of your business"

[Samaliel]

It is unclear, but I think the CCR just wanted to confirm that her husband either couldn't or wouldn't help, not asking her whether he couldn't or wouldn't help.

However, they should have been able to conclude that he couldn't. I think they were in "Phone Drone" mode, sticking to the prompts on their screen and not trying to think because they feel they're not paid enough to think.

[Becks]

Ooooooooh, what are the odds that the call was monitored? Make a call back and ask for a supervisor.

[xaenon]

Ah, 'phone bullies'. Hate 'em.

They have a job to do, I get that. But seriously, they piss me off.

A few years ago I was between jobs for a couple of months and had to cut expenses, so I had the CATV shut off, along with a few other non-essentials.

Well, apparently there was still a balance of about $US40 on the account, for
which the CATV company proceeded to bombard my phone DAILY with these
types of calls. Always the same snarky, indifferent, brow-beat approach.

After explaining that I was out of work...
"And when do you think you'll be taking care of this balance?"

Oh, I don't know - maybe when I can find a f*cking JOB?

without missing a beat -
"And when, exactly, do you think that'll BE?"

Seriously, that HAD to be the dumbest thing I'd ever heard anyone ever say.
The implication is that I can just WILL a job into existence, on demand. Well,
gee, if I'd known it was THAT easy......

[edible_hat]

I got a power bill that was higher then expected, and late... it came with a letter saying to call them to arrange an extension on the due date. We don't need the extension but I thought I'd arrange it anyway, since they were nice enough to offer. The CSR kept trying to push me into a payment plan but I wasn't having any of it. Eventually we settled on a three week extension.

and I've taken measures to make the next bill lower than this one. Stuff like unplugging the second fridge, turning off the broadband modem when not in use...

Oh, I don't know - maybe when I can find a f*cking JOB?

without missing a beat -
"And when, exactly, do you think that'll BE?"

"That depends, are you hiring?"

[MoonChild2007]

I had one phone bully ask me if I go to a blood bank to get money. I don't understand why these reps keep forcing us to pay with money that we CLEARLY do not have or else we would pay the bills.

[SpyOne]

It is unclear, but I think the CCR just wanted to confirm that her husband either couldn't or wouldn't help, not asking her whether he couldn't or wouldn't help.

However, they should have been able to conclude that he couldn't. I think they were in "Phone Drone" mode, sticking to the prompts on their screen and not trying to think because they feel they're not paid enough to think.

You appear to have missed the obvious as well: he can help, he is helping.

But yes, thos person was in Phone Drone mode: either forced to follow a script, or too brain dead to deviate from it.
Ask if they have another earner in their household.
Ask if they can get money from said person.
Ask if they have family or friend.
Ask if they can get money from said person.
Say whatever you have to, but get them to commit to sending some specific amount of dollars by some specific date.


FuzzyKitten, your mistake was treating this caller like ... well, like what they were representing themselves as. You spoke conversationally with the person who was looking for reassurance that you would meet your obligations, rather than speaking guardedly with someone who is trying to provoke you into making specific statements for possible later use in legal matters.
It's a shame that the relationship has to become adversarial so quickly, but they seem to have decided it does.


I like the response suggested by a poster above:
CCR: Well, are there any other income earners in the house besides yourself?
"That really isn't any of your business, and it was quite rude of you to ask, good day."

[FuzzyKitten99]

Got another call from them today, right when my son had injured himself on something outside. It wasn't as bad as I thought when I cleaned it up and bandaged it, but initially it was a bit scary-looking because it was bleeding quite a bit. He's already had his first stitches and even almost lost a thumbnail. We really should get some kind of points card or frequent ER visitor discount just from the last 5 years...

Anyway, the phone rings and I answer. I would have just let the machine get it, but the number just came up as 'private' on the caller ID, and I have a couple friends who list like this as well, so I thought it was one of them. Well, it is not. It's the card company. It even sounds like the one who asked the stupid questions before. So she starts going through her spiel, and just then, my 5yo comes crying in the house, bleeding from his leg. I immediately stated that my son had injured himself and I had to go. Just before I hung up I heard her say "But this will only take a minute of your time..."

Uh, excuse me?!

I shouted "It's an emergency! Good God!" and then hung up.

I mean seriously people. I know you want your money, but when you say something as f-ing stupid as that to a mother, you are definitely on the bottom of the totem pole of bills to pay, and will stay there.

Oh, and the other card company that was very nice and polite and understanding of the underlying situation, got paid and caught up this week. See what happens when you treat me with a bit of kindness knowing that I wouldn't deviate from my bills on purpose, when I have had a record of never being late before?

[Akasa]

I hate when they assume I have husband and when I inform them I'm not married they act like there's soemthing wrong with me, or the famous "don't take it ot on me!" Oh I'm not taking it out on you I'm sick of people like you acting like I have to have a man in my life to be whole.

[JustADude]

I hate when they assume I have husband and when I inform them I'm not married they act like there's soemthing wrong with me, or the famous "don't take it ot on me!" Oh I'm not taking it out on you I'm sick of people like you acting like I have to have a man in my life to be whole.

Just please, please, please don't turn into a misandrist over it? Thinking of that one thread about the total Feminazi that posted a bit ago. Going too far the other direction never helped anything.

[Akasa]

Just please, please, please don't turn into a misandrist over it? Thinking of that one thread about the total Feminazi that posted a bit ago. Going too far the other direction never helped anything.

Nope, I just haven't found the right guy. Lots of wrong ones though.

[tropicsgoddess]

Ugh...bill collectors.