Rich people just want service

Recently, while overseas, I lost a credit card.

I don't know where I left it. I just knew I didn't want to worry about someone else using it, so I decided to call the company and cancel the card. Which began my adventures into just how bad service has gotten lately. You'd think that the credit card company (Capital 1 -- a sucky company) would be quick to take care of the issue -- after all, they're responsible for any illegal credit card charges. Wouldn't they want to hear from a customer right away that their card has been lost or stolen?

But no. The first thing I heard, after I dialed the 1-800 number while sitting in a parking lot in a foreign country, was the message that calls from outside the country were not toll-free. Then I had to confront a long menu of options including "check your balance," etc. I wanted to report a lost credit card! I wanted to take care of this immediately.

I kept pushing option "other," and kept hearing another menu to choose from. Again and again. By this time, we're well into 5 minutes of the call and I had yet to talk to a live person.

Credit card companies -- take a hint. When a customer is overseas, trying to reach you, they're having a problem. There should be a dedicated phone number for lost or stolen cards.

At last I reached a live person. A nice lady with a foreign accent who took care of almost everything ... and then needed to transfer me to a "security" official to make sure I was who I said I was. (What? To cancel my credit card?!!) I then faced about three or four different people who kept transferring me to another person. And then I was put on hold. Forever.

By now, I'd been on the phone about 30 minutes. Sitting in a parking lot on my cell phone, in a foreign country.

In disgust, I just hung up. I will never use that credit card company again.

I came home and immediately applied -- and just received -- an Amex platinum card. I've heard their service is much better. Let's see if that's true.

I've gotten to the point in my life where I'm willing to pay for good service. The trouble is, it's harder and harder to find it.