Originally Posted by
hotpancakes
What's the best protocol for speaking with the agent? Do you simply say, "Hi, I'd like to cancel my card. Do you have any offers to help me keep it open?" or do you ask something else? When people refer to "HUCA," do you literally hang up the phone without saying anything, or do you say, "I'll think it over and call back." In order to get the best offer, is it best to wait until 30 days post-AF is near? How many times is advisable to call when trying to get the best offer?
In general, I think you can say anything that includes "cancel" or "close." Personally, I typically say something such as "I'm received my statement and noticed the annual fee was billed. I'm considering closing the account." The agent will then come back with either "I can close it for you right now," or "Let me get a specialist on the line to assist you with that." As far as HUCA, personally I always say something pleasant before hanging up. If I'm calling for a credit card retention offer and the agent offers to close the account immediately, I'll ask how long I have to decide and still get the fee refunded, then say I'll think about and will call back by then. If I'm speaking to an airline agent, I'll say someone just walked into my office, or I'm getting a call on another line, or some such and then hang up. As far as timing, you can review the posts in this and related threads. Many people seem to check their accounts online or in the app and call as soon as the fee hits, or a few weeks before the fee hits, while others wait until after the fee posts. Personally, I do things the old-fashioned way, with paper statements mailed to me, and I call when I see a statement showing the fee (typically three or four weeks after the fee was posted). As far as frequency, you can call back every few days to see if a offer appears on your account.
Originally Posted by
raycosm
The CSR did not offer me anything and said that the offers were based on engagement. I really hammered down that the reason my engagement was so low compared to in the past was because the earning rate had been cut by 33%. Still no offers after a lengthy conversation.
My understanding is that the agent has very little discretion; when the the agent pulls up your account, it will have offers or not, as determined by AmEx's algorithms. If there are multiple offers, the agent might present you with all of them, or only the one that most directly addresses your stated reason for considering closing, but if there are no offers, I don't think the agent can generate one.