Arguing is Futile
You’re closing a savings account because you’re tired of paying the hefty monthly fees your financial institution charges you on the account. You already have a savings account lined up with another bank or credit union, so there’s no way the representative is going to talk you into keeping the account open. When you sit down with the representative, he starts with the barrage of statements that are designed to get you to leave the account open:
“I can reverse some of the fees if you keep the account open.”
“Do you know how important it is to have a savings account?”
“How about we keep the account open so you can think about whether you really want to close it or not.”
It can be incredibly annoying to have a representative at a financial institution talk to you as though you’re not very bright, but in the vast majority of cases there is no ill will intended. Representatives are usually simply going through the script that they have been required to memorize. They’re told to say certain things in certain situations, and since the last thing a bank or credit union wants you to do is to close your accounts you have to be ready to deal with some resistance.
The same goes for other transactions. Turn down an additional product - such as disability insurance coverage for a loan, for example - and the representative might say things that offend you on some level. You might have to sign paperwork with wording that you object to because it’s designed to make you feel silly, such as initialing something that says I don’t need disability insurance coverage because I know I’ll never get sick.
Your first instinct might be to object to the implications - real or imagined - that you’re being treated like an idiot. Of course you know that you need to have a savings account and of course you know that everyone gets sick once in a while. The representatives know that you know this. They’re simply trying to find ways to hang on to your business, not to insult you. Don’t take it as a personal attack.
Is it really worth your energy to get into a heated argument with a financial institution representative? Money is a passionate topic, so there may be times when it’s difficult to avoid feeling as though you want to scream at the person on the other side of the desk. Instead, respond with, “Thanks for the advice,” or a simple “Uh-huh.” Remember that nine times out of ten the representative isn’t trying to belittle you.
If you truly feel as though someone has said something that is indeed intended as an insult, calmly talk to the manager. After all, do you really want to scream and yell at someone who has full access to your accounts?
