Tweet your customer right

Twitter has reached the corporate mainstream.

Internet savvy startups such as AirAsia has been using Twitter to provide quick and short responses to customers. Today, veteran companies such as Singapore Airlines use it too to reach out to the web savvy customers.

There is a particular group of customers that prefers to communicate through Internet than making a call to the call centre (I'm not sure if their reluctance to call is due to their limited phone budget or level of patient in maneuvering the complicated IVR).

Customer centric companies go to the 'hang out' places of its customers whereas arrogant or ignorant companies force customers to wait eternity on the line or at the counter queue.

Pinnochio lives among us

The Citibank-Airasia promotional booth at The Curve broke my walking pace to a halt yesterday evening. The free Nokia E63 caught my attention! A RM1,080 phone for free if your credit card application is approved. Unbelievable!

I told Eunice, the Citibank staff, that it was too good to be true. I asked her what was the catch. She said none. I pressed further and she said that you just need to pay RM30 for the delivery of the phone.

For the price of RM30, I filled up the form on the spot. I wanted to select the choice of my phone which was obviously the E63 but I am unable to do so. Hence, I asked Eunice where do I state my preference. Then she revealed the 'catch'. The catch was only the every 50th approved card will receive the E63. The unlucky ones will receive a RM139 Nokia 1208 phone.

At that moment, my trust in Citibank has gone down the drains. Well, I've never really trusted banks 100% but this experience reaffirms my belief that banks don't put your interest first (I'm not refering to the interest that banks understand). Clearly, her commission came first.

Though it is too late, I'm wondering what other 'catch' is there. Maybe I will discover it when I receive the credit card and phone. It may be too late then. Do I have an option to cancel or decline the card and phone? I'm sure I can (but probably with a penalty fee).

Can you be open and transparent with me upfront? Boleh tak, Citibank?