Dear Mr. Chokshi,

Thank you for your recent welcome letter regarding my purchase of a PASS card from American Express. My family was excited to learn of a program that could allow teenagers the ability to securely pay for the things they want and need. As you may know, there are not many similar financial options available to a 14 year old girl, the intended recipient of the card.

The same day that I received your letter about my purchase, I also received the card. This was a surprise as on your company’s online form, you ask for the recipient’s address. My address is in Florida. The recipient’s address is in Ohio.

As you know, the Frequently Asked Questions section of your website makes the following claim on the matter:

Q- Where will American Express send the PASS Card?
A- American Express will address the package to the PASS Cardmember and will send it to the address selected at the time of purchase. However, we cannot send the Card to PO Boxes

This does not appear to be company policy.

In your letter, you also advised customers, with concerns, to contact Customer Service at 1-877-405-7277. Upon doing so, the automated system asked me to dial one if I wanted to buy a card or dial two if I have a card. As someone with a card in my hand, I dialed two. Then I was asked to enter in my Pass Card Number, which I did.

The automated system then announced that my card had not yet been activated and disconnected me from the call. The fact that the card had not been activated was not a surprise as the recipient had not yet received it and I’m reluctant to mail an activated card.

What did surprise me was that the automated system did not give me an opportunity to speak to an operator even though I had followed your instructions. Perhaps a third option in your calling tree is warranted for those with questions about unactivated cards.

Upon calling back, I selected option one from the menu. In talking to your representative, I learned that the Pass card can only be sent to the billing address. This doesn’t exactly match the information on the FAQ. I was told that my only option was to mail the card on my own to the 14 year old.

Apologies were offered but it did not seem there was any thought of improving a process or clarifying the shipping instructions.

After mailing the card, I went to my Twitter account and issued the following tweet: Just had a weird and disappointing experience with #AmEx. I always thought they were a good company.

Not long after, I received an inquiry though Twitter, from Beth (company representative), about my experience. It’s good to see that American Express practices real time marketing.

Within the character limit, I replied: Beth: Tough to explain in a tweet. Problem with Pass Card being sent to the wrong address . Online form doesn’t match policy.

That evening Beth sent me several tweets which I have compiled below:

Have an American Express Card? I wld like to help u to get the Card to your recipient. lmk. Underneath where u enter the addr for the Teen & I will submit a req to the appr mgrs here to make that change. In the meantime,do umake any online purchases to their own addr. Anyhow,that info wld probably b better situated on the 1st page of the order screen. Understandable. I cked the Pass website & it states ‘The PASS Card will be shipped to the billing address above.’ – I can see how this wld be confusing as u r asked to enter an address for the Teen on the 1st page. The addr for the recipient is req shld they Understandable.I cked the Pass website & it states ‘The PASS Card will be shipped to the billing address above.’ – I can see how

I appreciate the efforts Beth made to assist me. By then the card was already in the mail. It does seem that Beth and the Customer Service Representative I spoke to on the phone have different responses to the same problem. Why is this the case?

Mr. Chokshi, baring a problem with the mail, the card will reach the recipient’s address by Monday. I’m sure the card will work and be of great value to the 14 year old who is experiencing life in a new community.

However, as the purchaser of the card I feel your sign up instructions were confusing, your policies misstated, and your representatives need training to give one answer to a problem. The shipping delay has caused a hardship for my family.

As President of Global Payment Options and an American Express Cardmember since 1989, I’m sure you understand the value of a positive branding experience. In a few years, the recipient of the card will be attending college and will, at some point, look for a partner in the credit card industry. How will this experience impact her decision?

I am requesting $4.95 to cover my cost of mailing the card to the recipient. Please send the funds to my address, which you already have.

Sincerely,
Kenneth Okel
www.kenokel.com
tvguy@kenokel.com
2 Minute Takeaway Podcast
Who will be The Whiner of the Week?

Update
While I never heard from Chokshi, I was impressed with the company’s response to my letter.

The social media team seems well trained and solution oriented. Beth agreed that something was wrong and apologized for the problem. Whoever is coordinating this online effort should be praised.

About a week later, I received a message from a customer service representative who again thanked me for bringing the matter to the company’s attention. She also apologized for the problem. A gift card was also sent to me in thanks.

While I was very frustrated with the initial situation, once I reached the correct person, I did find American Express to be very attentive to my concerns. They learned of a problem, thanked me for my input, and hopefully corrected the situation for future customers.