“I noticed that there was a late fee on my account. Is it possible to waive the fee?” I asked politely and braced myself for the worst.

“Let me take a look here,” she said in her friendly quiet voice. “Looks like you’re a great cardmember…sure I can do that for you.”

I mentioned a few other requests and they were nicely fulfilled. A surprise for the phone call I had been dreading to make all weeklong.

In the last few days, I had read up on the 10 confessions of a chase customer service rep and its followup. I have always found it amazing that such companies have so much power. That I almost find that CSRs often just can’t do anything. Or is it because I haven’t requested it?

To this day, the worst customer service I ever experienced was a phone call to a government agency. Where I was admonished for spelling each letter of my name and address (I thought he didn’t know especially since my last name is obscure as is the street). I was just trying to be helpful. And other sorts of unsavory feelings.

At the end of the call, he mechanically said, “Have a good day, m’aam.”

To which I automatically I replied, “You too!”