Credit Card Debt Management

The Consumerist had an interesting article recently on how to get what you want from your credit card customer service department - from the perspective of a Chase customer service employee. Below are some of the highlights:

Be nice. If you are nice, these employees just might try to help you out more than you anticipated - at least, according to the Chase employee interviewed by The Consumerist.

Be upfront. What do you really want? State it at the beginning of the call. Don’t beat around the bush or give them the whole back story. Get to the point already. These are busy people.

Own up. Your payment was late? Be honest. Don’t make excuses. They’ve heard every excuse in the book. Honesty will get you a lot farther.

Be responsible. Read your contract and understand the terms. Make your payments on time. Don’t surpass your limit. Demonstrate responsible spending and credit card management. If you are repeatedly irresponsible and reckless with your credit, there is no magic wand that these customer service fairies can wave. You may want to seek credit counseling or education to help you learn how to improve and manage your credit, but the customer service desk is not the place to get that education.