Picture your mother or grandmother traveling alone, and she’s targeted by a thief. Someone takes her money, mobile phone, even her travel documents.
That’s what happened to one of our elderly cardholders who was traveling in Spain and was in tears by the time she connected with MasterCard emergency services. She said we were her only hope. Our agents are well-prepared and very resourceful but there was one more challenge – she called on a Friday. In Spain, banks’ hours are reduced – often not open for even a full business day! Our agent was very concerned that this woman might not have funds for the whole weekend, unless she acted quickly.
Her documents had been stolen too, and she didn’t even have enough money to take a taxi to the embassy to request new ones. With no documentation, it wasn’t possible to get her money through a wire transfer … so our agent moved to plan B: request the emergency cash advance through a replacement center. She got that in place quickly and provided our cardholder with the information she’d need to pick it up; then she made sure the hotel ordered her a taxi so she could actually get it.
In all, it took just 2.5 hours to make the calls, organize the services, and save this woman’s weekend and really, her whole trip. What was most helpful, was that our agent was able to make an emotional connection with the caller and reassure her that one way or another, she would find a resolution. The agent herself wanted to cry, listening to this woman describe what happened. But she was able to hold it together and solve the problem. The cardholder was of course grateful, and told us she felt valued as a customer, that her expectations were exceeded and that emergency services showed her that she really is safe using her MasterCard anywhere in the world. Now THAT is priceless.
There may be thousands of businesses out there that can plan and deliver what you’re looking for. But did you know that your MasterCard card may carry this benefit for no additional fee? Give us a call to find out if your MasterCard card carries this benefit. Who knows?
