Hoon.co / I’m Hoon Park: a husband, father and product manager.

American Express customer support success

In November 2014, American Express had a Small Business Saturday promotion where if you made up to three purchases of $10 or more from designated “small businesses” using your American Express card, you would receive a $10 credit for each purchase.

Sounds like a great deal, right?

This type of thing is right up my alley, so I made sure to take advantage.

There’s a map on their site that helps you determine what stores qualify for the promotion. I looked up a few places near my house and made an agenda for the day:

  • breakfast at a donut shop
  • buy some secondhand clothes for my kids after breakfast
  • frozen yogurt with the family in the afternoon

When I got to the frozen yogurt shop, I learned they don’t accept American Express. By the time I discovered this, my kids had already started eating their frozen yogurt, so I wasn’t going to leave. But, I did have a sour taste in my mouth because I was spending $10 more than I planned because I had to use a different card.

That afternoon, I tried sending a tweet to American Express’s “Customer Care” Twitter account on a lark to see what would happen. Here’s what transpired:

I filled out the web form, and then:

Thank you for your email.

I’m sorry that you had this experience, but we certainly appreciate you letting us know that this merchant no longer accepts Amex.

I have issued the credit in the amount of $10.00 to your card ending in ##### for your purchase with Yogo Bowl. Please allow 5 business days for the credit to appear.

Have a nice day.

Sincerely,
Olivia Hendricks
Social Media Response Team

Success!

Thanks to Olivia and the American Express Customer Care team for helping me feel good about being an American Express customer.