UGLIEST CARD 2

NOW: THE UGLISEST CARD I'VE EVER SEEN
Here's a zoomed up picture of the new UOB NOW Debit card... that white stripe there was supposedly my 16 digit card number (got to block it off ya noe...)...
Been pretty much bottled up with lotsa frustrations over the past weeks... lack of sleep from long working hours, exam stress, and stupid clients (think Red...) basically made me wanna find a venue to vent out... and along comes UOB... Red some more...

Was studying for my exam and stopped a while to whack some complaints up to UOB. Basically to vent some anger... below's what I wrote to them thru the UOB website:

Subject: Cards - Debit Cards
Enquiry: [COMPLAINT: NOW debit card ]

I can't find any proper words to described how disgusted I was towards your new UOB NOW debit card.

This card is extremely UGLY. Eyesore. It looks like a cheap metro 10% discount card; even a MayBank ATM card looks nicer.

NO CHANCE is this card even going to find a slot in my wallet.

A wallet, to some people, is a medium to display all the prestigious cards they can have - driving license, amex card, gold cards, all the flashy cards. NOT cheapo looking cards (e.g. sakae sushi 10% discount cards, popular bookstore discount cards, etc.)

I don't feel proud owning this card! My Visa mini debit card is going to be discontinued. So be it. But I am definately not going to activate this NOW debit card. Its already in my waste paper bin.

If UOB can remember how the Visa Mini was positioned... the commercial showed how people feel proud about flashing this card for their purchases; and having it hung around their necks with a lanyard and such.

What happened to this NOW card?!! What is the positioning?!

Why is it also an EZLink card?! What for; when almost everyone in Singapore owns an EZlink card already. Isn't it too late? CitiBank already came out with it; UOB became the copycat. Isn't it even more inconvenient for customers to be carrying 2 EZlink cards in their wallets and worrying about which card will the station debit the fare from?! Isn't it inconvenient for customers to be taking out the Ezlink card they intent to have the fare deduct from to scan?! If UOB's intention in this aspect is to replace that EzLink card, I tell you, even the SMRT EzLink card design looks nicer than this NOW debit card.

Worse, its a VISA card. I can't associate that VISA logo with the design of the NOW card. To make matters worse, that "PLATINUM" word at the top right hand corner of the card --- for goodness sake! Please explain how "Platinum" is that RED card? It didn't even feel like an ATM card to begin with. That "Platinum" wording is a laughing stock. Seems like this "Platinum" word has been over used and over-abused. The prestigious effect is lost.

Lastly, please assess the demographics of your customer first before promoting any of your products (like this NOW debit card). I am 27 years old. My visa mini debit card was applied YEARS ago when I was still a student. I hold a decent job now and drives a car. DO YOU THINK I STILL NEED SUCH A CARD??!!! (Ezlink card is useless to me, i'd rather it a cash card).

To sum up, I think you can fire your marketing team.

Lotsa steam released eh?? Below's what they sent me via email...

From:
"UOB Card Centre Customer Service"
Subject: RE: Feedback
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:12:43 +0800

Dear Mr Yong

Thank you for your email.

We understand the frustration and anxiety that we may have caused you recently. We would like to assure you that we are currently investigating your feedback and that we would be replying you soon.Thank you.

Yours sincerely
Lok Ka Hui (Mr)
Senior Officer
Call Centre
United Overseas Bank Limited
Singapore Company Reg No. 193500026Z

Well... they called me couple of days later. Told me that they have escalated my feedback up to the relevant management, and asked if they can offer me any credit card or such. Nice lady over the phone; very professional. I was like: "Nah~ its ok, as long as my feedback's taken seriously, I'm pretty much satisfied... but I am still gonna let my Visa mini lapse and I am not going to accept that NOW card. No way. I'll stick to my ATM card."

UOB's good. They take customers seriously.