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Your card has been declined.

Written by Carolyne Wahlen

I had a call on Saturday from my bank’s fraud department.

They were concerned about some transactions on my account.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t identify one of them and I couldn’t look it up at the time, as I was out with Comet.

So the lady asked me to call back once I knew one way or the other.

No problem at all.

Until…

I tried to use my debit card half an hour later to pay for postage in the Post Office.

Declined. Twice.

Got home to an email from Mailchimp saying my card had been declined.

Tried to order on Amazon, again, card declined.

Very annoying, particularly as the bank lady hadn’t informed me that the card would be stopped, and the suspicious amount was actually a direct debit, not a card transaction!

I rang first thing Monday to get them to unlock the card and the security questions I had to ask to get through, because there had been “fraud” on the account were pretty onerous:

What is your account number?

Last number telephone pin?

First number telephone pin?

Agreed overdraft?

Date and month of birth?

Debit card number?

ID number on the bank of my internet banking widget?

At this point I got angry (okay, I was angry before then, but held it just about in check).

“No-one rings up the fraud department to approve a suspicious transaction if they are not the account holder! This is not a fun or easy activity! If they wanted to defraud me they would do it via cybercrime!”

At which point I was put through to fraud quite quickly.

And, amazingly enough, I did get one apology for the inconvenience of having my card declined.

One. And that was more for the fact that his colleague hadn’t told me that the card would be stopped.

Now whilst I appreciate the fraud protection activities, they seem to feel that because they are trying to protect me, that justifies any actions on their part, and I don’t have the right to be annoyed or get upset about it.

And it would have been human to have apologised for the inconvenience to me over the weekend, but it wasn’t on his script, and he didn’t want to admit liability, and anyway, they were doing it to protect me, so all’s fair in that case.

Are there any things which are “obvious” to your clients, but which you don’t state?

And do your customer service people become like automatons when a complaint comes in, rather than apologising and therefore taking the sting out of the situation?

My experience left me feeling that maybe there’s a reason why bankers rhymes with another word?!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About Carolyne Wahlen

Carolyne is the founder and owner of Gap HR. She's seen what works in HR and what doesn’t, and has practical answers to real problems that small businesses can apply with immediate effect.

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• We exist to help you stay legal, compliant and profitable, without shelling out for an in-house HR manager.

• Our founder Carolyne has worked in people management since 1995, which means you’ve got decades of experience you can rely on.

• Over 170 clients benefit from the experience and expertise of the Gap HR team.

 


Call Us: 01491 598 600

 


email us: cw@gaphr.co.uk

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Where our clients are:

Mark Ghafoor, KCC Basildon

“Whether it’s a simple question or a more complex query, GAP HR have ensured that we have the most up to date knowledge of current legislation and processes to ensure we can offer the best support to our teams.
It is reassuring to know that expert advice is only a phone call or video conference away!”

Deb Green, Vermatech Pest Control

“We have been using Gap HR for several years now. Carolyne and her team are professional and efficient and we would not hesitate in recommending them for small businesses. It is a great relief to know we are supported by them for our HR advice and paperwork is kept up to date.”

Justin Wilkie, 2Excel Logistics

“I have been working with Carolyne and her team for 6 years now , when I first purchased 2Excel Logistics I found the HR scary as I wanted to do the right thing for my staff , with Gap HR on my side this all seemed easy and we have gone from 9 staff to 28 with no hassle what so ever , thank you to all at Gap HR”

Ashley Lewis, Wallingford Tiles and Bathrooms

“So pleased to be working with Gap HR. They’ve straightened us out in no time. Their pricing is clear and they really know what they are talking about.”

Helen Gordon, Kitecreative

“We are a growing company but do not have facilities in house yet for HR services in house. Gap HR is our go to service for all kinds of advice about HR for our business and we have found them very reliable, communicative and efficient. Would definitely recommend them”

“Carolyne and team continue to provide great support to our business, with quick and accurate responses to help with our various HR needs.”

“Gap HR have been at our side for a number of years now and are a great help in dealing with our HR needs”

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