Doug has a Chase credit card, but doesn’t bank with them. His local Chase branch left him a message asking him to call back by the end of the business day about something that was “important” but “not an emergency.” Fearing a credit card breach, he called them back right away. Turns out what was so “important” was the branch employee trying to sell Doug on opening a checking or savings account at that local branch.

We can’t post the audio file here, but this is a lightly redacted transcript of the message:

Hey, Doug, this is [redacted] at Chase Bank in [town.] Just wanted to reach out to you, it’s not an emergency but it is important you give me a call back before 6 today if you can. My number here at the branch is [redacted.] Again, that’s [redacted.] Thank you, bye.

Was getting ready to leave for the day when I listened to the attached voice mail that came in at around 4:50pm. It was Chase Bank calling about “not an emergency” but something “important”. In these days of credit card fraud (I have a Chase Visa) and identify theft such a message has a high likelihood of being returned.

I called and spoke to Todd. He referenced my Visa and said that he wanted me to know about some promotions they were running on new checking and savings accounts at the branch.

Me: “That’s why you said it was important for me to call you?”

Todd: “Yes”

Me: Slammed the phone down on his ear.

And banks wonder why people hate them?

Clearly, so many people have left Chase after Bank Transfer Day that they’ve been forced to turn to their credit card customers to drum up business.

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