Monday, August 3, 2009

They Call This Security

After a year of walking past the kiosks every few weeks in the Airport, I finally succumbed to a Southwest Visa card - looks like I will continue to need to fly south ;-)

Tonight I made the obligatory call to activate the card. Surprisingly, a human answered the phone! In activating the card, I gave a password - let's say "SMITH." So 13 seconds later I said, "Can I change the email address on the card because I gave an incorrect address when I signed up." And the lovely young man with a clipped English/Indian accent, dutifully reading from his script said, "I will need you to verify your password in order to change that information."

Huh? You mean the password I just made up 15.5 seconds ago? OK. I'm pretty sure I remember - it's SMITH. Yep, everything's secure. I'm me - still.

And so it goes....

11 comments:

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

If it's not in the script . . .!

Welcome back.

Shelly... said...

That's pretty funny! But rest assured it is a good card. We charge EVERYTHING on it because we have racked up several free tickets very quickly (and of course, pay it off each month because hello I'm not paying a gazillion dollars in interest every month). No security breaches yet! :~)

ChiTown Girl said...

I wasn't really planning on commenting (just wanted to see what everyone else said!) but I couldn't resist once I saw the word verification word: goddis

That's because you ARE a goddess!!!

Seraphine said...

i swear to swine, telephone people have to follow a certain protocol. one time i called a credit card company and the menu voice asked me to key-in in my credit card number. Then when I finally got a live person, the first thing he asked me what my credit cardnumber was. so i asked 'why do you need my number when i just entered it on my keypad?
he said 'we need to verify it's you.'
frankly, i think its just to annoy people so they don't call unless its absolutely necessary.
and... because it's in the protocol script.

Hula Girl at Heart said...

Personally, I like the horrified look the store clerks give you when they ask for your phone number and you say you don't give it out. Like I'm going to announced my home phone number in the middle of Linens 'N Things with twenty people standing around. I've grown to enjoy turning them down.

Stephanie said...

LOL Can't think for themselves!
We had the alarm go off at our business. They called our home at 3am and asked us if we wanted the police to go investigate. We said no, just reset please. Then they requested our password to authorize. Hello? You just called our unlisted number at 3am. You called us.

Busy Bee Suz said...

I love this!!!! Thank goodness you remembered it. ;)

Wunderwoman said...

Just be grateful you got a human...doesn't happen very often!

article marketing said...

Thanks for sharing this

zelzee said...

How about having you sign the back of your credit card because you forgot, then they check your handwriting with the slip you just signed!!!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, well, in his defense, sometimes some people stop being themselves right then and there. Hate that!
I'm laughing with Zelzee b/c I took my 11 year old daughter to breakfast at the place that rhymes with Bracker Carell this morning & the lady at the register said "I notice that your card isn't signed so can I see your i.d.?" When my driver's license pic was taken I had the blond-on-top-darker-hair-underneath thing going on. That woman looked at me & my license for quite awhile. I fanned out my other 4 credit cards, 2 insurance cards & PTO membership cards. My daughter said "Wow, you have alot of proof that you are you." I'm either really me or I've stolen my own identity. Heh!
Ame in TN