I Feel Sorry for American Express Employees

By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter (and Corporate Refugee)

Please note that I mean the people who actually do the work  - and are caught between toxic bosses and screaming customers (the customer service reps at India outsourcing companies...not so much...they're really removed...and unconcerned.) Based on my experience in Corporate America, Am Ex could lose at least the top two levels of management and nobody would notice (in fact, things would get better.)

I could rant on - about all the Big Clueless Companies who are failing, wailing, and begging for help...banks that couldn't qualify for one of their own loans...credit card companies wreaking havoc with long-time customers' credit ratings...but I won't (otherwise, we'd be here all day sharing our tales.)  No, what I really want to talk about is: 

The People.

You couldn't pay me enough to work in the executive offices of American Express (or BofA, or AIG...or Wells Fargo...or...)  It must be sheer Hell, caught in the middle between clueless self-important nabobs and screaming customers. I've been the "point person" for a CEO office when we "fired" customers.  It WAS.NOT. FUN. Especially since I could do absolutely nothing but listen (..while also having to listen to the Masters of the Universe execs scream about earth-shaking things like finding raisins in their oatmeal cookies at the catered boardroom lunch...)   

So, what can we do as employees or customers?  Not a lot about the real problems.  But we CAN have some sympathy and empathy. 

That executive assistant you just screamed at?  Chances are good she's watching her fellow employees being laid off; is dealing with a low-IQ, high-salary jackass of a boss; wondering how she's going to send her kids to college...and expecting to get the axe at any minute. Given that, you can understand why she's not all that responsive to you (you're about the 250th person who's called...just this week.)

Here's what I'm doing - feel free to leave your own thoughts:

1. I'm letting it go - wherever and whenever possible.  Am Ex canceled two cards on me, and I lost 19,000 points.  I frothed. I fumed. I wrote a full-on rant blog post.  Then I stopped and thought.  I didn't need the cards, hadn't used them in over a year.  I recalled what it was like to work in a toxic corporate world.  So, I'm not posting my rant and, after I write a quick note to the CEO office about that 19,000 points, I'll move on...I'll also never want an Am Ex card again. 

2.  I'll give the service rep sympathy.  If and when I do call a company - particularly if it's one of the toxic ones - I'm going to remember the rep is a person, who is likely not making much and having to deal with a lot.  It may not solve my problem or answer my question, but my blood pressure won't skyrocket...and the rep might actually find a way to help. 

3. I'm continuing to simplify.  The less I buy, the fewer credit cards I have...the less I'm at the mercy of the Big Boys. 

4.  I try to buy local when I do buy.  I can directly affect/help the people and it helps my community. I also pay cash whenever possible (so the merchant doesn't have to pay obscene credit card fees).  I ran across a blog post the other day (sorry, I'd link, but can't remember where) that suggested we "pick three."  Certainly, we can't keep our entire local economy afloat, but we CAN pick three businesses that we'd really hate to go out of business and support them, whenever possible.  The local bistro. The corner bookshop.  The cool boutique with organic and fair trade products.  And so on.  

Your thoughts? 

Comments

[Amex girl]

I work for Am Ex as a customer service rep in Salt lake and I couldn't agree more. I took the job after a lose of a six figure income selling real estate in Las Vegas. Life is hard and this article couldn't of been more real. Thanks for realizing that I am a human being with emotions and I really do care about helping people but the company has to get rid of the upper management heartless corporate robers who only care about control, power, money and themselves.

[Earn Online]

Excellent post. I often think about these poor people that are stuck between a rock and a hard place being abusive customers and management who couldn't care less about them. It is about time the real workers were rewarded rather than the CEO fat cats continually having their multim million dollar salaries increased.

[Kevin Reid]

I love this blog post.

I think it is so very important to treat people with respect no matter what. It goes a long way towards getting things done. Even if you explode during a call with a customer service rep, you can still apologize for your outburst (but you do not need to apologize for your frustration and anger). Believe me, they will appreciate it. It is so much better to get the people you need to work with focused on finding a solution to your problem instead of defending/protecting themselves against an attack.

[Dee-Ann LeBlanc]

We've flat out gotten rid of credit cards. I use a debit VISA and my husband uses a chargeable one.

[Kristen]

With money tight, I make sure each and every dollar counts. I like to buy gifts for family and friends that I know they will like and have a good cause, like Ten Thousand Villages that sells fairly made goods by artisans around the world.