Corporations don't have feelings, but the product manager will care because her bonus and prospects will be affected. This product would have been designed some time before the Sapphire Reserve refresh was announced, and based on the amount of negative reaction to that, there may still be an opening for Citi. Some previous Citi product launches appear to have been subsidized by MasterCard, which could make a product profitable even if it is panned online.
Originally Posted by
CaroPalms
To mia’s point, this card has been in the works for a bit, and I certainly understand Citi’s unwillingness to care. However, I’m curious how much and/or quickly a bank can pivot - whether it’s this particular example for Citibank or any other card launch for that matter. Meaning that if a card is rumored to come out with a certain set of benefits, and the general reaction of the rumored/anticipated release seems to be negative, can they adjust things before official launch? I assume the answer is no as websites, publications, training, etc. all need to be built and finalized, but I wonder if any room is left for that.
I realize a small subset of the population is on FlyerTalk so they may not care about our reactions (positive or negative), but part of that subset are bloggers who are needed to push and support their products.
When compared to CSR before its recent refresh, this card would be even less appealing (I don't remember many of the "enhancements" on the CSR, but I think it's overall negative). Thus, there wasn't even an intent compete. I feel Chase closed the gap a bit with the refresh, which might give CSE an opening. Perhaps Citi saw the general trend of watered down benefits, more coupons, and higher fees, which then designed this card with those factors in mind.
LAX