I'm now obviously psychic. Maybe I should start at 1-900 number...

Tonight I spoke to a person who amazed me that they made it as far in life as they did. This man does not bank with NABABNA, however chose to use one of our ATMs. The card did not come out of the machine (yes, unfortunately this happens) and we couldn't give it back to him. Why you ask? Hmmm, let's see. How do we (you know, customer service representatives) know if the card hasn't been reported lost or stolen, if the account it draws funds on is still active, or if the card itself isn't damaged and physically unable to become unstuck from the machine? We are not holding the card, we have no access to accounts housed by other banks, and of course, people love to scream at us for this.

Here is the call:

B (that's me!): Thank you for holding sir, my name is Beth. I understand you wanted to speak to a supervisor regarding the fact your card is in our ATM?

TUS (technically un-savvy): That's right. I want my card. It's in this machine!

B: I understand. The banker you just spoke to did report the problem to our support area and they are sending someone out to check the machine, however they will not be able to give the card back to you for security reasons.

TUS: But what if someone gets my card?

B: I do suggest you contact your bank and have them close the card and see if they can issue a new card.

TUS: I can't leave here. How can I call my bank?

This is where I pause.

B: Sir, you seem to have access to a phone. I suggest using it to call YOUR bank. It's not like you and I are communicating telepathically here.

TUS: But I don't know their number.

B: You don't know your bank's phone number.

TUS: No, they're closed.

B: And that prevents you from knowing their phone number? I can understand that they are closed, not all banks have extended hours. Typically a bank that closes earlier will hire a company to do card closings for them after hours. You could try calling your bank to see what their message states about this.

TUS: But the number is on my card! How do I get the number?

B: Where do you bank?

TUS: First Bank of Small Town, Nowhere.

B: Since you know the name, you could try using a phone book or calling Directory Assistance.

TUS: Don't you have their number?

B: Well, I don't work for Directory Assistance. I work for NABABNA. Unfortunately, I don't have the number for First Bank of Small Town, Nowhere.

TUS:

B: Thanks for calling.

Do we really have to walk people through this much of their lives? I plead with the general public. If you're upset, STOP, THINK, REASON, if you need help, ask calmly. You'll get much farther in life.