[sparkyflier]

I have long been a fan of American Express and have both the charge card and the BA card. For many years, indeed decades I have suggested to friends that their telephone customer service/support has been excellent, and indeed have suggested to retailers who did not take it, that they should (and prioritised on retailers that did).

However recently I have felt standards are really slipping, for example being passed from continent to continent, been given irregular advice and have had promises broken by back office staff. I have raised official complaints and been promised that a manager would call back within 2 working days. It is now 7 working days and no missed calls or voicemails.

I do not know if they have made big staff reductions( before or during Covid), but know it is harder and harder to speak with Amex in Brighton, but what I have experienced I feel is a combination of incompetence and now arrogance/contempt for the customer.

So I am asking what other cards do you suggest I move to which gives travel rewards (airlines/hotels etc). Likely I will soon move many of my hundreds of thousands MR points to airlines and hotels etc, but going forward I would appreciate your advice on which NON American Express cards you would suggest which are rewarding and have customer service humans which are easy to reach and professional.

What would you recommend? Many thanks in advance. I am UK based.

[MorleyJS]

A good alternative to Amex is Natwest Black. It has good rewards and also has an excellent concierge team.

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sparkyflier

[ASK1945]

From the NatWest website:

“We’re not accepting applications for new Premier Reward Black accounts at this time. We apologise for any inconvenience”

It’s also £31 per mont, a bit more than the BA Amex card.

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sparkyflier

[David]

I use a combination of BA Amex and Virgin Mastercard. Now that they’ve upped the rewards, it’s got a little more attractive although their online offering’s pants and the rewards aren’t as good as Amex – but unfortunately, the best alternative I’ve found so far (I’m not interested in hotel points).

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Polly

[MartynSinclair]

Amex has many cards, benefits and customer services options.

My card of choice remains the Amex Plat card. My choice is based on 3 benefits:

1. Travel Insurance
2. Priority Pass
3. Points, which I can redirect to various providers

Value for money – FAIR, despite the recent increase
Customer Service standards – as per the OP’s views

Despite various issues with the travel insurance policy, I have stuck with the Amex Plat card – but would change in a heartbeat, if I could research/find a comparable travel policy in terms of cost and benefits…. (remember the Plat card provides an annual policy for up to 5 people – or at least it did)…

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cwoodward, Polly

[woodyhoo]

I was an Amex customer for over 30 years.

The new style management in Brighton did’nt value my loyalty.

The card is not “warmly welcomed ” in Europe and the Far east.

Fine for the USA.

[Chris in Makati]

[postquote quote=1013891]I was an Amex customer for over 30 years.

The new style management in Brighton did’nt value my loyalty.[/postquote]

I wonder whether the “Member Since” date actually means anything at all to them. My “Member Since” year is 82, so coming up for 39 years of membership. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any recognition for that loyalty.

[traveldoc1]

In my dealings with AMEX tele-centres they have usually referred to the fact that I’ve been a member since 1981 and said “thank you”. Nice gesture which doesn’t cost anything. I’ve also found them pretty good to deal with – get through quickly and dealt with in a friendly and efficient manner. And, like other posters, the travel insurance and Priority Pass benefits are most welcome.

[Chris in Makati]

[postquote quote=1013899][/postquote]

The £100 Waitrose/John Lewis credit was nice, and a bit of a surprise. It goes someway to offsetting the increased annual fee.

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Polly

[first_class_please]

I have recently added the Miles and More cards to my wallet as a non Amex, rewards card. Looked at the hotel cards but not much use for me benefits wise as i don’t tend to stay in many of the hotels covered. I applied for the Virgin card, the one with the fee and was given a 3k limit. So i cancelled immediately as a waste of time.

Miles and More seem really good service, operated by Diners in Chester. Can even email real people with direct email addresses. Figured Star has a good group of airlines so in 3-4 years i will have a good pile of miles collected.

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sparkyflier

[Montysaurus]

I’m quite taken aback with this Amex criticism. I first became an Amex cardholder in 1996 and have never had any problems with their customer service. As someone who advises businesses on relationship management, I would put them at the top of the range based on my personal experience.

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Jacob, Polly

[ASK1945]

[postquote quote=1013933][/postquote]

………….. and I am another one who has been with them for over 30 years and never had cause to criticise. Mind you, I haven’t had to call the contact centre since before Covid-19 started, so I wonder if the Customer Service has deteriorated in the last 7 months? Sparkyflier started this thread by writing as an introduction to his complaint “I have long been a fan of American Express and have both the charge card and the BA card. For many years, indeed decades I have suggested to friends that their telephone customer service/support has been excellent……….”

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Polly

[Polly]

Plus the £400 Hotel credit recently granted…

But if you meet their criteria, which am sure all on here do, then the HSBC Premier Elite MasterCard fee £195 pa, 2nd card only £60, is good at 1 avios per£ or 1/2 per£ on the free premier card. We have downgraded to the free one now as not travelling. Points cover a number of airlines, hotels etc.
Still hold the free gold card atm too. And the BA one.

[cwoodward]

[postquote quote=1013891][/postquote]

I have lived in what is still rather quaintly known in the UK as the ‘far east’ for well over 40 years.
For at least the last 25 years the Amex card has been warmly welcomed in every country that I visit for business or holiday (and I have I believe been to almost all)
In India I have found that in many places no cards are ‘warmly welcomed. Otherwise throughout Asia the Amex card is strongly promoted and welcomed almost everywhere without question and the customer service almost without exception is excellent with no sign of any change.
Reading the posts upthread it looks to me that perhaps any service problem is one isolated to the UK. A poor choice of new top management going OTT to save admin costs in these difficult times is perhaps the cause.
The Amex rewards I find solid and not changed or ‘enhanced’ every second month as with some cards and it continues for me to be my card of choice.

3 users thanked author for this post.

CathayLoyalist2, ASK1945, Polly

[CathayLoyalist2]

I to have been an Amex Plat CArd holder for 26 years and have only had one instance where they got it wrong but it is only 1, not bad for 26 years. Overall I have found their service centre excellent in terms of getting the enquiry sorted which they done regularly. Along with CX´s Marco Polo Club these two have been consistetly good. Given the pandemic my contact with them has been limited so possibly things have changed. That said with any large organisation there are always going to be examples of poor service as we all know given the comments about airlines and hotels on this forum. As and when Amex ,or any supplier, loses the plot consistently then I will look to change but for the time being as far as Amex is concerned “I´ll never leave home without it”

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Jacob, Polly, ASK1945

[Author]

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