This call may be monitored and recorded for quality assurance training, and authentication purposes. In a few words, tell us why you're calling today."
Upon calling Capital One, customers are greeted with instructions to select 8 for Spanish, followed by options to get help with a Capital One bank account or credit card. Since I have a Capital One credit card, I wanted to find out if it was possible to lower my interest rate to decrease my monthly payments.
I said the words 'credit card' and was placed on hold while being transferred to the right department. In less than a minute, an automated recording prompted me to enter the last four digits of my card number. I was also given the option to apply for a new account if I didn't already have one.
After entering the requested numbers, I waited on hold again while my account information was being retrieved. Once the automated system shared my account status, I was offered more options for proceeding. You can choose to access balance details, recent transactions or account updates. You're also allowed to say 'representative' to be transferred directly to a customer service representative, which I thought was helpful for anyone needing immediate assistance.
I selected representative and waited on hold for about five minutes before I was connected to an agent. He confirmed my name, address and account information before asking how I could be helped. I explained that I wanted to reduce my current interest rate, asking if Capital One had any current offers to make this happen. While I've been in the process of paying down the balance, I told the rep, based on my long history and good standing with Capital One, that I was looking to keep the account open but lower my monthly payments.
The rep said he would place me on a brief hold to check my account and see if there was an option for a reduced rate. After a few minutes, he returned to explain that, currently, there weren't any lower rates, but I could apply for a hardship program if I would be willing to close the account. This would allow me to pay down my balance faster with a drastically reduced annual percentage rate, he shared. While I appreciated the offer, I told him I wasn't interested in closing the account, which could affect my credit rating. Instead, I asked if there was a supervisor I could speak with about other options, and he said he would connect me.
Another brief hold led me to a supervisor who listened to my request but also explained that they currently couldn't negotiate anything lower. Again, I was told I could only close my account to pay down the balance faster under their approved hardship program. This was disappointing, but I didn't want to face any hits to my credit report, so I ended the call with a less-than-enthusiastic thank you. While I wasn't successful in my mission, I appreciated the convenient access to customer service reps with minimal time spent on the phone.