Dr Anthony S D Farmer sent a message to David Nelms that said:
Dear Mr Nelms
I have had a Diners Club International card continuously since 1979 and have had and still have a perfect payment record for the last 36 years. In spite of receiving DCI\'s letter dated 1 September 2015 enclosing my new DCI \'chip and PIN\' card and paying the annual fee of £50 on 6 October, I have since received a most insulting letter from DCI advising me that my account has been closed. This is no way to treat a customer with a totally unblemished payment record who has additionally demonstrated his loyalty to Diners Club over 36 years. It also represents a breach of contract.
I called Diners Club in the UK in an effort to resolve this problem and spoke to a Mr Steve Dean, a customer services supervisor, who did not even have the courtesy to apologise. I asked him to escalate my complaint to the national customer service manager for the UK and the two directors of the owners of the UK DCI franchise (Affiniture Cards Ltd). Shortly afterwards I received a call from a Janet Picken who informed me that she was the UK DCI Customer Service Manager. She too failed to apologise at the outset and then decided to argue the toss with me as to whether DCI were in breach of contract having already renewed my account. I terminated the call when it became clear that she would do nothing to correct the situation.
I then attempted to contact your franchise holders in the UK with the intention of speaking to one of their two directors (Jonathan D Back or Peter R Murray). The only number I could find through the internet rings, but nobody answers it. I searched for their telephone number using British Telecom\'s on-line phone book only to discover that the number is apparently ex directory. This demonstrates an appalling lack of transparency, accountability and commitment to customer service. A company that has an ex directory office number clearly has something to hide or wishes to avoid having to deal with complaints. As far as I am concerned the buck stops with you Sir. US President Harry S Truman had a sign on his desk in the Oval Office: The buck stops here. All \'Chief Executive Offices\' would do well to follow his example, including your franchise holders!
Please ask yourself this question: \'How many customers do you have with an unblemished payment record going back 36 years?" The answer must be \'Exceedingly few!\' Well, I am one of the very few and expect much better than this from DCI.
I feel it is appropriate to quote from your very own website:
We\'ve always believed in giving our customers the best service.
When we introduced the first cash rewards credit card in 1986, we committed ourselves to meeting the needs of our cardmembers with the best possible customer service - and we still stand by that commitment today. We\'re building our company by listening to consumers and developing products and programs that help them get the most for their money. Beyond credit cards, our banking and payments businesses offer rewarding products backed by that same commitment to high-quality service that we have had from the start.
My account predates the above commitment by seven years! If you truly care for the reputation of DCI, please deal with this complaint as a matter of urgency. Right now the ball is in your court and as far as I am concerned actions always speak far louder than words.
I expect: a) your colleagues to resolve this situation as a matter of urgency, if necessary by transferring the account to another franchise, and b) to receive an unqualified apology for the way in which I have been treated. Right now your staff need to prove that customer loyalty is valued by DCI and needs to be treated with respect not disdain!
Yours sincerely
Tony Farmer
