An Open Letter to Sales Clerks
Dear Customer Service Representatives of the world:
Please check credit card signatures.
A few weeks ago I was the victim of credit card fraud. Someone somehow got my credit card information (even though I didn't lose my card) and spent over $1,000 on gas and shoes in Ontario before the card was cancelled (oddly, roughly $100 USD was also spent at what M/C Customer Service tells me was a Hungarian airline).
As a result of this violation, I have been watching sales clerks ever since, noting whether or not you (CSRs of the world) ever compare the signature on a card with the signature on the slip. Guess what?
Not many do.
Credit card companies spend millions on advanced security measures, on holograms and extra security codes—only to be undermined by the human factor, by the salesperson who does not take two seconds to compare signatures. The breakdown in the system happens at the frontline, at the point of transaction. I count on you to make sure no one is taking advantage of me, and you let me down. This makes me angry and frustrated.
And retail companies shouldn't be let off the hook either. They are the ones who ultimately pay for fraudulent transactions; they lose money by not being vigilant, but don't seem to enforce the practice of checking.
If you hate your job and want to undermine the company you work for, fine. Just don't do it at the expense of my time, my stress levels, and my money.
Please, this holiday season, just check the signature.
Sincerely,
Mary
6 comments:
Did you have to pay for the fraud yourself??? I hope not. It isn't your fault, after all.
Once upon a time, at a Superstore somewhere in the world, there was a guy who kept signing his slips Puff Daddy. And no, he was NOT actually Sean P. Diddy Combs himself.
Mike: No, I don't have to pay for it. Ultimately, the retailers are the ones who pay, but I don't think they care because I'm sure they have insurance that covers it.
Anna: And he got away with it??
In the UK, you now need a pin number for credit cards. Pretty simple solution, no?
And how did you move your blog over to the Beta? I can't figure it out...
Yes and no. He'd sign it something that's not his name then call the credit card company and claim it. That'd only work once though (maybe twice) as the company'd probably catch on quickly.
Nicole: If you go to the Blogger homepage (http://www.blogger.com/start) you should be able to sign in to either Blogger or Blogger Beta in the upper right hand corner. Blogger Beta requires the creation of a Google Account.
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