American Express ? Not So American ? Branding Spirals Downward
I?ve never been a fan of American Express. I?ve had nothing but problems and frustration with them. They spend millions of dollars a year on branding but yet fail at the most basic elements.
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Here?s my beef with American Express;?First and foremost don?t say there is no preset limit and then cut card members off when they start to really use the card. There is nothing more embarrassing then having your Platinum card denied at a client dinner because you?ve spent $10,000 this month and that?s new for you. No preset limit means just that. I should be able to spend $100,000 without a care.?
Not so and American Express is just plain lying about this. As soon as you cross a new threshold with them they suddenly want your tax returns for the last two years.?Next is their customer service. It used to be horrible. Now it?s horrible, pathetic and unimaginable. American Express now outsources their customer service to India. I?ve said it before and I?ll say it again. American?s don?t want to talk to any foreign customer service people. Especially when they barely speak proper English.?
Outsourcing to a foreign company is a brand killer. We all know you?re trying to save a buck and we all feel the same way?uncared for. When you outsource you are saying you don?t care about the customer experience. So why should we care about you??
Oh yea, when I call American Express customer service I?m assuming I?m talking to an American (hence your name). Not some Indian with a fake name they?ve been given like Bob.?
Lastly American Express is fat and happy. They?ve lost sight of the target market and have no clue as to what?s happening. They are arrogant and rude.? American Express, it?s time to look within yourself. Soon you?ll be a company no one cares for or recognizes with.
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November 14th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
For a real Amex horror story see:
http://home.earthlink.net/~713/index.html
With Amex, you are never more than a keystroke away from losing it.
January 14th, 2008 at 11:14 am
I am finding that most big corporations are outsourcing their costomer service to India, Malaisya, Pakistan and so forth. They say that our security is they’re # one priority. I believe that is a crock. Why give your personel information to someone in a foriegn country that gets about $ 2.00 an hour. Who knows how long they stay employed. I was never told that my information was going to be sent overseas. Isn’t that wrong? What can be done other than canceling my account. And that wouldn’t do any good since the information is already out there. So much for watching out for my security.