Consumer complaint received 2019-11-01
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: NV
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
Wells Fargo letter from XXXX He stated that the supervisor 's phone call was not recorded. That is a lie. I have the original and it was recorded by Wells Fargo and XXXX XXXX. You can plainly hear him state that the call is being recorded. If XXXX lies about such a small detail as this, he is inclined to lie about most anything. As a lawyer, juries do not like people whom are caught not telling the truth, they can in part or in part dismiss the whole statement made by the person. Also he stated that there was miscommunication between the executive and myself. XXXX here is the miscommunication. Misaligned Vocabularies Plain language refers to the preference for words that are in everyones vocabulary what linguists term the core vocabulary consisting of about 200 to 300 words. These words are mostly verbs, pronouns, and demonstratives, such as his and that, which help distinguish the subject the speaker or writer is referring to. These words are used frequently and across many contexts to express meaning and intent, usually without misunderstanding. 

As the initiator of communication, the speaker or writer must choose words that are easily understood by the listener or reader. For example, a 10-year-old is unlikely to understand the meaning of plethora, so plenty or a lot would be better choices. A communicator should always consider his or her audience when communicating. 

2. Messy Thinking Messy thinking results in messy  speaking, which usually occurs when someone begins speaking before completing his or her thought process. As a consequence, listeners are taken on long, convoluted journeys filled with contradictions, extraneous information, and premature conclusions. 

Messy thinking usually happens during periods of stress or high emotion. Remember Platos observation : Wise men speak because they have something to say, while fools speak because they have to say something. In other words, think about the intent of your message before speaking, and when speaking, choose language that is precise, clear, and easily understood.

3. Faulty Definitions Homophones are words that sound alike or nearly alike, but have different definitions. For example, discreet means careful and circumspect, while discrete means distinct or separate. 

Other examples include : abhorrent aberrant alternate alternative disassemble dissemble emigrate immigrate flounder founder horde hoard Your choice of words is important because the wrong word can confuse the listener or reader. When in doubt, consult a dictionary or simply dont use the word.

4. False Civility While civility is a desirable trait in all societies, its often misunderstood and misinterpreted. Civility is a matter of context what might be considered rude or thoughtless in one situation could be proper in another. A parent warning a child to get out of the street shouldnt value the childs feelings over his or her safety ; a supervisor disciplining a subordinate for poor results shouldnt dilute or confuse the message in the hopes of being perceived as nice. Civility means being conscious and considerate of how actions and words affect others, but it does not mean beating around the bush or faking emotions.

5. Sloppy Language Habits Unconscious patterns of thinking, speaking, and interacting are developed over time. These habits affect your daily activities and your relationship with your environment. They surface in speaking and writing, and they often lead to miscommunication. 

Be careful when you use the following : Acronyms. Acronyms are abbreviated versions of phrases or organization names that are formed by combining alphabetical characters to create a new word, such as OSHA shorthand for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Federal Government. Acronyms save time and may improve recall of the underlying meaning. Unfortunately, acronyms are so ubiquitous in speech and print that their meanings are often misinterpreted. For example, the meaning of the acronym ACA could be correctly interpreted as Affordable Care Act, American Correctional Association, American Camp Association, or American Chiropractic Association. If you use an acronym, be sure to provide its meaning so your audience is not confused. 
Jargon and Colloquialisms. Many social, business, or professional groups develop special vocabularies to describe concepts and activities specific to their group XXXX jargon ). Examples include baluster in architecture, arabesque in ballet, and all in in poker. Colloquialisms are phrases and words from specific geographic regions typically used in conversation, but not formal writing. The meaning of pot liquor, a term used to describe the juices left in a pot after cooking peas or collard greens, would be readily understood in the South, but less so above the Mason-Dixon line. Jargon and colloquialisms can add color to speech and writing, even enhancing understanding where their meanings are understood, but the possibility of misunderstanding remains high. 
Assumptions, Stereotypes, and Allusions. Its well known that the use of assumptions taking something for granted or without proof can make you look bad. Stereotypes ( inaccurate simplistic generalizations ) and allusions ( indirect, often incorrect references ) can have the same result : muddying your intended message and confusing listeners or readers. There is little to gain from their use and much to lose, so avoid them whenever possible. 
Buzzwords. Words that sound impressive but convey no special meaning are in a special class by themselves. They have no place in intelligent speech or writing. Use of buzzwords is so flagrant that drinking games are built on their use in political speeches. However, politicians are not the only guilty parties some corporate cultures are infamous for their use. XXXX XXXX, the creator of The XXXX XXXX, even suggests that employees learn to use big, vague words as they progress up through management, preferring a sentence such as I utilized my multi-tined tool to process a starch resource to I used my fork to eat a potato. 
6. Government-Speak and Legalese Legal and regulatory documents are especially open to confusion due to both their use of technical terms and a culture that often rewards quantity of words over quality and intent. According to XXXX writer XXXX XXXX, Hard-to-understand rules are a lawyers best friend, and the need for companies to lawyer up is a huge [ competitive ] advantage to large or established entities. 

Poorly written government documents ultimately led to the passage of the Plain Writing Act of 2010, and the establishment of a public plain language website, PlainLanguage.gov, to promote the use of plain language for all government communications. As you might expect, the need for improved written communication extends beyond the American borders and even the English language. There are organizations around the world that are dedicated to improving government document understanding through the use of plain language : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX in XXXX, and XXXX! in XXXX. 



How does this apply to that situation? It does not. Listen to the tapes of the conversation. I asked her not once but many times if the card was still open and see stated yes. It is not miscommunication- it is a screw up and human error. Call it like it is?

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation