Monday, November 17, 2008

Citi Speak

Perhaps when they're not laying off 50,000 employees, the folks at Citibank could figure out how to map the English language.

As a long time customer, I recently added a new payee to Citi's online banking program. Citi has Business and Individual payees split and upon choosing business, I hit their search.

I was attempting to add Conroy Irrigation (great bunch of folks).


Here's the list of matches from Citi... as they refer to it that 'closely match the name' I entered.



Now where does Energetix, Wichita, or Greystone sound like Conroy? Perhaps in Citi land. Again, a Company Acting Badly for investing in a tool for customers that only wastes our time.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Citi Bold Update

In the 200 days since I received Citi CEO Vikram Pandit's "Bold" email, we've seen Citi post record losses, declare that tens of thousands will be laid off, increase credit card fees, and have members of its board clamoring for the head of its Chairman.

And it's stock price? Down.... way down... As of today, Citi's stock has fallen some 73% from $34.77 when it named Pandit as CEO on Dec 10th, 2007 to $9.50 as of Nov 14th, 2008. You can see the stock chart here.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

El Loco Toro

For the first time in months I received an automated telemarketer call at home. Ever since placing our phones on the National Do Not Call Registry last year, we have had few if any of these type of calls.

This one was unique...

"Don't be alarmed. This is the last chance to lower your interest. Press 1 to continue."

Don't be alarmed? That in itself is alarming.
Last chance to lower my interest?
On what?
My mortgage?
Car loan?
Credit cards?

Press 1 to continue. I hung up. And reported a complaint at the National Do Not Call Registry.



The name and number on caller ID? Toro Bravo LLC. 850-916-3033. A quick Google search show that Toro Bravo is a restaurant in Gulf Breeze, Florida that finds its name being abused by this telemarketing firm.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Cablevision Not Trying Too Hard

In my most recent online bill from Cablevision I got a notice that once again they are going to be jacking their cable rates in December of 2008.



What puts Cablevision on the list of Companies Acting Badly is the line that "While every effort is made to keep our prices as low as possible...". Really? Every effort? Hmmm...

How about not charging me for the dozens and dozens of channels I don't use? How about instead of offering a standard, Silver and Gold preset package with tons of channels that you offer to let me pick them a la carte?

According to an early 2006 article in USA Today, the average person only watches 15-17 channels a month. Why then should I be paying for 250 channels? In the same article the FCC states that I could save 13% by an a la carte structure. They also quote a survey where 54% of Americans would rather pick and pay for their channels.

An article around the same time in the LA Times notes that Canada, Britain, India and Hong Kong all have some variation on A La Carte pricing.

Cablevision is a Company Acting Badly for not making "every" effort to keep prices as low as possible.