Conversation with a bank

There's this foreign-owned bank, you see, that had just sent me my renewed credit card. However, it required me to send a text message to an automated number for it to be activated. I had been trying several times yesterday afternoon with no apparent success.

And so, I decided to contact their call centre instead. After going through the long process of pressing and entering this number and that number, I was put on hold. The voice at the other end droned on and on about their services and products, and kept reminding me that my call was important to them. Oh boy, but it took about four to five minutes before a real live person at the other end answered.

Never mind, I thought to myself. So I told the bank's call centre staff that I wanted my card activated. Then came the next hurdle. I had to answer a whole series of questions before anything else. I know, I know, it's for identification's sake. Banks can't be too careful, you know. I was prepared to go through the whole rigmarole of getting naked with my personal information. Identity card number, okay, given. Mobile telephone number, okay, given. Whether I've other accounts with the bank, okay, told him. How do I normally make payments, okay, cleared that question too. Can't recall all the questions but okay, everything asked were answered. Correctly.

By the time I answered the umpteenth question, I made a small inquiry. Wahh, any more questions to answer just to get some service, ah? "No, sir, that's all," he bubbled cheerfully, "and how can I help you, sir?"

A bit silly, don't you think so? "Gosh, by the time I answered all your questions, I've forgotten what I wanted to ask you already..." I said.

"Never mind, sir," the faceless call centre guy answered. "You wanted to activate your card, sir. It's activated now, sir. Is there anything else I can help you with, sir?"

Polite till the end. Nothing else, I said. And after some closing niceties, I terminated the call.