Don't Shoot! I Used to Work for Capital One

[jackson1972]

Just wanted to share this.

 

About 2 years ago, I worked for Capital One in Nottingham. I was one of the poor sods making outbound calls to people who were either late on payment, or over their credit limit. It was without doubt, the worst job I ever had and I only stuck it for 2 months. One day, I just woke up and thought, that's it, I'm not going in to work anymore and I never did! Didn't even tell them I'd quit, just never went back.

 

I was shocked by some of the methods we were told to use. The constant calls (sometimes calling the same house 3 or 4 times a day). I used to feel realy sorry for some of the people, say where it was a parent and their son or daughter was at uni, but we had to keep calling all the same, because that was the only number we had for them.

 

We were told to do everything possible to speak to the customer, including things like not mentioning where we were calling from, asking to speak to the customer using their first name so that we sounded like one of their mates and leaving a message saying we were calling from Trent House (instead of Capital One) and "could you just ask (customer's first name) to call Jacko1972 at Trent House on ### ###### (number)."

 

You might be interested to know, that as individual agents, we did have authority to refund up to one late payment fee and one overlimit fee per customer at our own discretion, without requiring second-level authorisation, so as a customer, it's always worth chancing your arm.

[whistleblowing fairy]

I still work there and it is nothing like that anymore!!! (although some of you may disagree)

 

I've been in the customer relations dept, the payments dept, the letters dept, complaints dept and i'm just about to move to the fin diff support dept.

 

On any outbound call we have to say we're calling from capital one.

 

the refund policy has changed considerably. so i'd stick to sending the letters from this site rather than chancing on the phone as the phones advisers only can auth one fee per rolling 12 months.

 

Also if we do actually speak to you we discuss what's causing the late payments. if its fin diff you should be told to contact the dept i'm joing in writing (see my post under general - if the original charge was caused by fin diff) if it was just a short term thing, we adv temp payment plans.

 

We also now have a thing called the fee spiral. If you make just the minimum amount due, (not including the ovl or arrears amount) on time consquetivly for 2 months and then continue to do this and also stop spending on the account, no further fees will be added (from the 3rd month) until you've cleared the arrears/ovl amount.

 

As much as I can't stand fees and some of the polices they have, they do rank in the financial times top companies to work for and have done for many years. but that has nothing to do with main aim of this site which is a place to get help and support whilst fighting charges:)