a number of situations lately that required me to deal with the wonderful world of automated systems. One seemed quite simple enough. My wife and I had breakfast the day of my surgery and I used my debit card to pay for our meal. We are able to track all our expenses online, therefore, in a couple of days the debit showed up but with only one problem. It was posted twice. I promptly called my bank and began a process of interacting with a dozen menus before finally being able to talk to a real person. This real person turned out not to be the right person but she gave me a 1-800 number of the right person. After working back through a number of different menus I finally got this person on the line. One o
f the interesting things to me is how these automated systems require you to put in your account information and it is verified before you talk to someone BUT what is the very first question they ask when you finally do get to talk to them? Could I verify your account information please! I just spent 15 minutes putting all of that into your system.At any rate I finally did get to talk to a real 'right' person and explained to them what had ha
ppened. I told this fellow the entry was duplicated. He said it would be quicker to handle it through the merchant from whom we purchased the services. He said they did have a dispute process but it is quite involved and would require me to furnish proof that the entry had been charged twice. I grunted a couple of times and then signed off to see what I could do with the restaurant where we had eaten. I called and spoke to the manager there. This is a huge restaurant chain so I figured they could just back out one of the charges. How foolish of me. I got the manager on the phone and he said he was sorry this happened but it wasn't that unusual but he had learned from experience that it is better to have the bank deal with it than for him to try and get something done. I told him that since I had paid his place of business for the service rendered and they had charged me twice, shouldn't they be the ones to try and correct this error?
ppened. I told this fellow the entry was duplicated. He said it would be quicker to handle it through the merchant from whom we purchased the services. He said they did have a dispute process but it is quite involved and would require me to furnish proof that the entry had been charged twice. I grunted a couple of times and then signed off to see what I could do with the restaurant where we had eaten. I called and spoke to the manager there. This is a huge restaurant chain so I figured they could just back out one of the charges. How foolish of me. I got the manager on the phone and he said he was sorry this happened but it wasn't that unusual but he had learned from experience that it is better to have the bank deal with it than for him to try and get something done. I told him that since I had paid his place of business for the service rendered and they had charged me twice, shouldn't they be the ones to try and correct this error?He said he wished it was that simple. They passed off my debit to a service bureau who then processed the transaction. He said he could call them but they typicall
y would not do anything but note that he had called and he believed it best for me to go back to my bank and dispute the charge. I told him to give me the service bureau number and I would call them but he said I couldn't because I am not their customer, the restaurant chain is the customer. Okay. I felt some heat beginning to rise in and around my collar at this time. Now I go back to that 15 minute procedure and finally get the 'right' person at the bank and they tell me they will flag the charge and send me the information I need to dispute the second charge. I was not happy but at least at this point it appeared something was going to be done.
y would not do anything but note that he had called and he believed it best for me to go back to my bank and dispute the charge. I told him to give me the service bureau number and I would call them but he said I couldn't because I am not their customer, the restaurant chain is the customer. Okay. I felt some heat beginning to rise in and around my collar at this time. Now I go back to that 15 minute procedure and finally get the 'right' person at the bank and they tell me they will flag the charge and send me the information I need to dispute the second charge. I was not happy but at least at this point it appeared something was going to be done.A few days later nothing had happened, therefore, I got back on the phone and w
ent through the ordeal to finally get a real person on the phone and this time I was told it takes seven to nine business days to get this transaction dealt with. This time I was generally unhappy about how all of this had been handled, therefore, I found the website of the International House of Pancakes and fired off an email explaining the details of what had happened. I was mostly upset over how their local restaurant manager was unable to help in this matter. There is no doubt by this time I had invested way more than the charge in lost time and effort but it became the principle that was at stake. I got one of those so very sorry emails back from the IHOP folks and they said the local franchise owner would be contacting me soon. While that hasn't happened yet, they obviously were able to get something done. I received two letters from the bank on the same day. One was requesting a detailed account of what had happened to be submitted along with a copy of the receipt. The second letter was telling me the c
harge had been backed out. Now here's the kicker! When I looked at my account online, the charge had been removed, and the restaurant people had now backed out the charge, therefore, both charges had been removed. Now I never wanted anything free. And, while I still don't want anything free I am going to have to really think before I try to get one of those charges reinstated! No wonder people throw in the towel!
ent through the ordeal to finally get a real person on the phone and this time I was told it takes seven to nine business days to get this transaction dealt with. This time I was generally unhappy about how all of this had been handled, therefore, I found the website of the International House of Pancakes and fired off an email explaining the details of what had happened. I was mostly upset over how their local restaurant manager was unable to help in this matter. There is no doubt by this time I had invested way more than the charge in lost time and effort but it became the principle that was at stake. I got one of those so very sorry emails back from the IHOP folks and they said the local franchise owner would be contacting me soon. While that hasn't happened yet, they obviously were able to get something done. I received two letters from the bank on the same day. One was requesting a detailed account of what had happened to be submitted along with a copy of the receipt. The second letter was telling me the c
harge had been backed out. Now here's the kicker! When I looked at my account online, the charge had been removed, and the restaurant people had now backed out the charge, therefore, both charges had been removed. Now I never wanted anything free. And, while I still don't want anything free I am going to have to really think before I try to get one of those charges reinstated! No wonder people throw in the towel!I 
will save my Social Security encounter for another day except to give a few short words of introduction. I will be 62 in August. I have been reviewing all the options I have concerning retirement. This includes earned pensions from previous employment as well as social security benefits. The Social Security website has dozens of utilities to help in forecasting, planning, and scheduling of benefits earned. I have used all of them extensively but I still had a few questions and that's what led me to making that phone call. I don't know if comedians know about these opportunities for sourcing materials, but dealing with government offices is a gold mine, and my call to the social security lady did not disappoint in that area. But, I will keep that for later and confess that I may have expressed some frustrations in a less than sterling manner to some of the many people I encountered in clearing the bank charge problem. Looking back, I know I could have handled this better and with a better attitude and testimony. I can certai
nly see how folks who are challenged in dealing with these automated monstrosities end up by just giving up. The cost of incidents like the one I described in lost time and effort as well as those who give up has to be beyond calculation. The good news is that when it was all said and done, God is still God, and we move on to the next opportunity to hopefully portray a better representation of His presence in our lives. Amen. ......More later.
will save my Social Security encounter for another day except to give a few short words of introduction. I will be 62 in August. I have been reviewing all the options I have concerning retirement. This includes earned pensions from previous employment as well as social security benefits. The Social Security website has dozens of utilities to help in forecasting, planning, and scheduling of benefits earned. I have used all of them extensively but I still had a few questions and that's what led me to making that phone call. I don't know if comedians know about these opportunities for sourcing materials, but dealing with government offices is a gold mine, and my call to the social security lady did not disappoint in that area. But, I will keep that for later and confess that I may have expressed some frustrations in a less than sterling manner to some of the many people I encountered in clearing the bank charge problem. Looking back, I know I could have handled this better and with a better attitude and testimony. I can certai
nly see how folks who are challenged in dealing with these automated monstrosities end up by just giving up. The cost of incidents like the one I described in lost time and effort as well as those who give up has to be beyond calculation. The good news is that when it was all said and done, God is still God, and we move on to the next opportunity to hopefully portray a better representation of His presence in our lives. Amen. ......More later.
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