As promised, here is a recording of the negotiation I just went through with Scotiabank.
Analysis
Unfortunately the CSR that I initially spoke to, Ed, misunderstood my request to discuss my annual fee. Instead of making an offer, he cancelled my card. Based on this, I asked to speak to a supervisor in order to negotiate my annual fee.
The supervisor would not provide either an annual fee rebate or points to offset the annual fee. As a result I was forced to settle for a product switch to a no annual fee card.
The way this call was handled is not typical of a credit card issuer. In almost all cases, an effort would be made to try to retain the customer. Granted, I did not use this card outside of meeting my minimum spend so perhaps I was not viewed as a valued customer.
In any case, the workflow discussed in Part 1 of this series was followed and the outcome was satisfactory, especially considering the fact that this was not a card that I intended on using in the near future.
What has been your experience with dealing with Scotiabank retentions?
I thought this was a new refreshing way to explore this topic. Having these audio and visual (YouTube) ____ really complements your blog! Keep it up!
FYI – Not sure if you remember me, but we met at PointsU YYZ the morning of the first day when we were looking for the venue. We are both from Calgary. Are there ever any track hacking meetups in Calgary?
Hi Brian! I actually do remember talking to you at PointsU. As far as I know there are no meet ups in Calgary but I would be game for organizing one if there is enough interest. If there isn’t I’m always up for a coffee. Hit me up at [email protected]