Hannah Alexander sent a message to David Nelms that said:
Hello,
This is a copy of a letter I am sending to the "Discover Customer Service"
Thank you for reading my note.
June 30th, 2019
Discover Customer Service
P.O. Box 30943
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0943
Discover Customer Service,
My name is Hannah Alexander, and I live in Columbia Missouri. I would like to share with you an incredibly frustrating/insulting/disturbing experience I had with Discover a few days ago.
I volunteer once a week for âMeal on Wheels,â an organization that deliver food to needy/elderly/disabled persons in the community. Through this action I have befriended one of my clients, a 70 year old disabled veteran, as a result of brain tumor following exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Among many other manifestations, it also affected his clarity of speech.
This person recently had his Discover credit card violated. As a result, he cancelled his existing card, and got a new card in the mail. The new card needed to be activated, but my friend has no computer and no phone, so he could not do it. When I heard this, I suggested to activate the card using my phone, which we did in a few minutes with no problems. But he also needed a PIN number, so he can pull money from his account. And then we hit a wall.
I spent 55 minutes (!) on the phone, with six different Discover representatives, including a supervisor, who I suspect was not a real supervisor, since she knew less, and helped less than any of the previous agents. I listened to the annoying music while waiting âon holdâ for longer than I ever cared to do. The problem is that in order to get a pin number they need to send you a code. But if a person does not have a computer, email, or a âtextableâ phone, it apparently cannot be done. Together with my friend we verified his name, social security and other data required by each representative over 10 times, we were transferred from one person to the next, only to be told that it can only be done through the automated service, and that they need to email or text a code. I offered to send the code to my phone, upon his verbal permission to the agent, but they would not accept it. After 55 minutes I had to leave, because I still had meals to be delivered in my car.
The whole experience was humiliating beyond description. My friend did not choose to be disabled, nor did he choose to have limited means. It was his misfortune, following an admirable service to the country. His life is full of hardships as a result, but I donât think that it needs to be full of humiliations as well.
I realize that every day there is an elderly person in America who gets victimized by a âfriendâ who wants to steal his/her credit card number, so I can understand that you would not send his PIN number to my phone. But you should have an alternative procedure in place for people without a computer/phone. And if you do have one, your representatives on the phone should be informed of such an arrangement. It cannot be that if a person doesnât not have modern technology he simply does not exist!!
I left in tears. I honestly cannot understand why a person who was good enough to die for this country is not good enough to be able to live in this country with a minimum level of dignity. I am not divulging my friendâs name. It is not my place to do so. But if you answer me I will share it with him.
Thank you.
Hannah Alexander
