The Neglected Desk And Global Dan

A girlfriends’ getaway in Minnesota on the heels of a three-week Greek vacation punctuated with a Milwaukee visit-my-son day left me pleasantly exhausted. The personal goal of serving homemade pasticcio and spanakopita for a group of nine friends energized me and then provided leftovers for a weekend visit from my brother whom I hadn’t seen in a while. Then Mike’s birthday needed celebrating and students needed teaching and landscapers needed directing and a new business venture needed exploring. 

This “fun frenzy” had a downside.

I didn’t the $77.68 charge on the credit card that an email claimed I owed because I couldn’t find the statement on the desk I neglected because of Greece and Minnesota and Milwaukee and birthdays. 

This neglected desk had an upside though – Global Dan.

I met Global Dan on a website – not a dating site (I’m spoken for.), but the chat portion of the Citibank website.

Traversing the Citibank online website appeared easier than traversing the stacks of leaning unopened mail, slick catalogs, and unorganized binders. (Actually traversing Africa on foot without a map and cellular service appeared easier than sorting through my desk.)

I was wrong . . . until I met Global Dan.

After logging in which required me remembering not only my ID but also the password, I followed the link to the credit card ending in the four digits on the Aadvantage Mileup card I held in my hand. 

This sent me to the statement page, which listed all the statements except the one I needed. Then I did what I always do when faced with a website computer dilemma. I clicked on every unghosted icon and blue link hoping that blind luck would reveal the $77.68 charge.

Blind luck didn’t lead me to the statement, but it led me to Global Dan.

Our dialogue, which went something like this, started on shaky ground.

Global Dan: How are you, Anita! Hope you are doing good!

Me: (Thinking I’ve been on this website for twenty minutes and I can’t find my paper or electronic statement. So I’m not so good.)I can’t find the statement that lists how I spent $77.68. 

Global Dan: (Unfazed by my lack of pleasantries) I understand your request!

Global Dan then directed me along the same route that I had taken looping from one page to another and coming up with nada. Then he hit pay dirt!

Global Dan: I can see that the charge was cancelled by a credit for a same account. 

Me: (Thinking I should go with the credit and run and then didn’t because I’m not big on letting go even when it benefited me.) So then why does it say I still have a current balance?

Global Dan: (Who apparently had a hard time of letting things go as well.) Give me one moment to look into this.

One moment later Global Dan directed me from drop boxes to links and eventually the information I needed.

Me: THAT’S where it’s been hiding!

Then I do what I always do when I chat online with website chatters, I ask about their locations and weather and their lives. Dan said it was sunny and though he couldn’t disclose his location he could say he was located globally. 

That sounded rather far away which was too bad.

Since Global Dan excelled at finding my statement online, I’d hoped he could come over and find a few other important documents on my desk!