After being a Citibank credit card holder for many years, I decided to call the company to ask for a credit limit increase. This card has some cash-back rewards, so it would be nice to use it more. Upon calling Citibank, an automated message tells callers to press 2 for Spanish and lets them know the call may be monitored or recorded for training and quality purposes.
A helpful feature I haven't experienced while calling other companies is Citibank's option to use the keypad, known as their touch-tone service, to make selections or their speech-enabled system where you can speak into the phone. Callers are automatically using the touch-tone system as the default, but you can say the word 'speech' or press *, and the call will be adjusted for speaking only. However, I found that the automated system is very sensitive to any background sounds, so if you plan to use the speech-enabled system, be sure to find a quiet place to speak.
Honestly, I prefer to use the keypad when entering information or making selections, so I remained with this default option. I was next guided to enter my debit card number, social security, taxpayer ID or account number. After using my Social Security number, the system was unable to recognize my account. I tried entering the number again to ensure it was correctly added, and this time the system told me to hold for the next available representative.
The wait time was brief, and a customer service rep cheerfully came on the line asking to confirm my personal information. Once I did this, he asked how he could help me today, and I shared that I was interested in a credit limit increase. As a customer who routinely pays on time and stays below my limit, I told the rep I thought this might be possible after having a long-standing history with Citibank. He placed me on hold as he explained he needed to review my account and check for possible offers.
In less than five minutes, he came back on the line and said I was approved for an increase that would go into effect immediately once I agreed with a list of statements needed to sign off on the credit limit change. In addition, he said the request would not affect my credit rating, but my report would show the adjustment. This process took another few minutes, and after that, he asked if I needed anything else before we ended the call. I asked whether confirmation of the increase would be emailed to me or appear in my online account information, and he replied saying I'd see the update in my account activity once I logged on.
The call lasted no more than 10 minutes, but before hanging up, I was offered a brief survey and decided to participate as a thank you to Citibank for the efficient and pleasant experience.