All In the Name Of $20! (American Express Travel)

Member Name: mizzame

Product:	American Express Travel
Date:	05/06/03 (588 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Central location, Supposedly reputable

Disadvantages: Rude Staff, Lack of privacy

Below is a letter I have recently written to American Express. I wish to share it with fellow consumers as I cannot begin to comprehend the treatment that I received whilst cashing some vouchers last week. Please note that this review questions the customer services dept and therefore only questions the Manchester branch's customer care policies rather than outlining products and services on offer. I should add that it takes a lot for me to put pen to paper but on this occasion my treatment was so bad that I had no choice!



Dear Sir/Madam

Living and working in Manchester I have become familiar with your American Express office based in St Mary's Gate within Manchester city centre. I have only ever used the branch for foreign exchange and for the cashing of American Express Gift Certificates. Until yesterday I would not have questioned using American Express to fulfil my travel and currency needs however the treatment I received on yesterday?s visit has left me with somewhat of a bad taste in my mouth and I will certainly be reviewing my choice of foreign currency office for future transactions.

I regularly participate in some online opinion surveys and for doing so I am rewarded with American Express Gift Certificates. In the past 6 months I have had around 5 $10 gift certificates. This is not a groundbreaking amount but I use the money for special treats. In the past week I have had 3 vouchers the first of which was cashed on Friday 23/05. For the first time I was advised that I would require my passport for future transactions, this I fully accepted but I explained to the cashier that this had never been the case in the past. I showed some identification (as my passport was at home) and the voucher was cashed.

Over the weekend I received 2 further Gift Vouchers so on Monday morning I took the vouchers, this time along with my passport to your Manchester office. I queued in a rather long queue before handing
my vouchers over as usual. This time I prompted that I had my passport. The cashier took the passport and asked me to sign the vouchers. I did all this, and then the fun started.

The cashier in a rude manner asked 'Are these your vouchers?' I of course, innocently said 'Yes, why?' The cashier explained that my signature was different on both cheques and with each cheque being signed twice that made 4 different signatures. Bemused, but still calm I offered further forms of identification bearing in my mind the cashier is still in possession of my passport. The cashier refuses further identification, thrusts a scrap of paper at me and asks me abruptly for my address. Without thinking I oblige. I am then also asked to sign 2 more signatures, again I oblige.

As this is normally a very quick transaction to make I quite often nip in to the office during work hours. At this stage I have been in the branch over 15 minutes, queuing and now struggling to have my vouchers cashed. I appreciate that the cashier claims that he was primarily looking after security issues but feel that for $20 dollars he really was having a laugh at my expense.

After taking my address the cashier called an American Express office to have my details and the vouchers checked. Twice he rudely asked me for the name of the company supplying the vouchers and I must add that I got the distinct impression that he thought I was lying and a fraud. In ear shot of myself and other customers the cashier was loudly saying 'No they look nothing alike, I am not convinced' and words to that affect. I could see embarrassment on other members of staff's faces, it really was becoming a real situation.

My reason for writing this letter is to ask for some explanation as to the manner in which I was treated. After spending 25 minutes waiting to have $20 dollars cashed I felt humiliated, taunted and mortified. By the end of my visit I had totally lost my rag
and on asking to speak with the branch Manager I was informed that this cashier was in fact the Manager! I could not believe it.

For the grand total of £11.44 I spent 25 minutes feeling as though I was on trial, these vouchers are given to me as a good will gesture and I'm afraid on this occasion American Express totally spoilt my enjoyment of the gift. Again I would like to stress that I am not questioning your security measures but the manner and time taken to carry out any checks required. My impression was that this member of staff was being not only a 'jobs-worth' but trying his best to make me feel intimidated and upset.

I hope that you can shed some light on this issue.

Yours sincerely

Summary: