SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Is S. Larson for real?

People who use Citibank credit cards have wondered about that for around two decades. S. Larson sends them letters -- millions of letters. S. Larson always signs these letters in the same diligent hand of a grade-school penmanship student. The words 'Customer Service' appear under S. Larson's name. S. Larson has no title. S. Larson has no gender.

Some of S. Larson's letters carry tidings of 'cardmembership.' Others containunwelcome news of rate hikes or cancellations. Most are mailed from Sioux Falls, a city with a street of spiffy restaurants, a fragrant hog butchery and lots of banks -- here by the grace of South Dakota's bank-friendly usury laws.

Out near the airport, 3,200 people work in the long, low buildings of Citibank's campus. One of them might be S. Larson. But when those in receipt of letters from S. Larson call Sioux Falls to speak with S. Larson, S. Larson never comes to the phone.

Citing 'privacy and security,' Citibank won't say anything about S. Larson except 'we are proud of S. Larson.' But its account holders display their curiosity on Web sites ranging from Complaints Board and Epinions to You Tube. For them, the persona of Citibank's letter writer has become an enduring enigma of customer care.

Danny Sullivan, 45-years old, has had a Citi account since college. He blogs about search engines and has a personal blog called Daggle.

Mr. Sullivan has noticed that Google is able to unearth nothing on S. Larson but references to a 'non-gendered, never-ageing, never-retiring customer-service rep.'

'Why is S. Larson still doing the same job?' asks Deb Ng, 46, a social-media consultant. She has been in correspondence with S. Larson since the 1980s.

Ms. Ng disputed a charge this year, and S. Larson wrote to resolve it. 'Surely S. Larson would have gotten a raise by now,' she says, 'or moved on to something new.'

S. Larson's 'ferocious work ethic' and 'remarkably stalled career,' as a comment on Daggle puts it, leads many Citi Card holders to believe that S. Larson doesn't exist.

'S. Larson? That's not a person,' says Larry Russell, who runs a financial Web site in California. Four years ago, he realized his interest payment had jumped from 2.99% to 32.31%. He complained in writing. S. Larson replied that he was 'not eligible' for a refund.

Mr. Russell phoned Sioux Falls, demanding to speak with S. Larson. 'S. Larson was always unavailable,' he says.

Finally, a service rep gave him an answer: 'I was told that Larson is not a human being,' says Mr. Russell. 'It's a name spit out by the system. There really was no S. Larson.'

Considering Citigroup's role in the recent travails of the world economy, it might not enhance its corporate image if -- on top of all that -- S. Larson genuinely turned out to be a fake. But what if S. Larson were alive and living in Sioux Falls?

'Now that would be impressive,' says Mr. Sullivan, the search-engine blogger. 'A real person? I'd feel, like, wow!'

There are clues.

A year ago, a former Citi workercommented on Daggle: 'I can attest to the existence of a real live Sue Larson,' adding that Sue 'was working her way up the management chain' in 1999.

An ex-Citi staffer, Vigie Ramos, emails: 'I have a vague memory of it being Sharon Larson.' In April, a customerwanting to mail in a gripe said on Daggle that a rep 'told me to address it to a Steve Larson.'

Two Daggle posters claim to have letters signed 'S. Larson' with 'Sandy Larson' typed below. In October, an S. Larson colleague wrote: 'I worked with this person and Sandy was my best friend . . .'

Another Citi worker posted this: 'Instead of complaining all day long about S. Larson maybe you should be sending in your payments on time so you don't have to receive a letter from her.'

Her? Is S. Larson a woman named Sandy? Possible. And what about her title? One Web comment reports putting the question to a Citi rep. The reply: 'President of Customer Service.'

A recent customer-service call produced this exchange:

Caller: 'May I speak with S. Larson?' Rep: 'I actually can't transfer you.' Caller: 'And she's customer service? What's her job?' Rep: 'She is President of the Disputes Department.'

Citibank South Dakota has its share of vice presidents, but only one president -- Kendall E. Stork. Citi's official filings don't mention S. Larson at all.

'They could have picked a random person and said, 'Know what? Your name's going on these letters,'' says Kitty Brady, an ex-Citi employee in New York. It isn't an easy spot to be in. 'Customers can get angry,' one Citi worker says. 'People have shipped dead rats.'

Another ex-worker who knows S. Larson -- 'It's a human being,' she confirmed -- phoned S. Larson and asked about giving an interview.

'This person still lives in the neighborhoods and doesn't want to be found,' she said. That was all she would say about S. Larson, but she added: 'Sioux Falls is a lovely place. Enjoy.'

Sioux Falls does have a lovely diner on Phillips Ave., where Jerry Nachtigal was eating bacon and eggs one sunny morning. His title is senior vice president for public affairs.

Asked what year Citi mailed its first S. Larson letter, Mr. Nachtigal said, 'I don't think I can tell you that.' Is S. Larson a woman? 'I can't tell you that, either,' said Mr. Nachtigal.

Could he say what department S. Larson belonged to? 'Not as we sit here,' Mr. Nachtigal said. Asked for a tour of Citi's offices, he demurred.

There are 167 Larsons in the Sioux Falls phone book. Luckily, Citi's automated directory is open to anyone who dials its main number.

A spoken request for 'S. Larson' brought up a Chris Larson, a Spencer Larson and a Nicholas Larson. Then a request for Sandra Larson delivered a direct line in Sioux Falls.

'Hi,' said a woman's voice, serious yet sympathetic. 'I am in the bank today, just away from my office right now. If you're calling about a Citi Card account or a refund check, you will need to dial 1-800-950-5114. Otherwise, leave your name and number, and I'll return your call shortly. Thank you.'

A message was left. S. Larson hasn't called back.

Barry Newman

• diligent [´dilidʒənt] a.勤奋的 (初中英语单词)
• contain [kən´tein] v.包含；容纳；抑制 (初中英语单词)
• campus [´kæmpəs] n.大学校园；学校场地 (初中英语单词)
• receipt [ri´si:t] n.收到；收据 (初中英语单词)
• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)
• curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)
• writer [´raitə] n.作者；作家 (初中英语单词)
• customer [´kʌstəmə] n.顾客，买主，主顾 (初中英语单词)
• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)
• resolve [ri´zɔlv] v.决心 n.决心；刚毅 (初中英语单词)
• comment [´kɔment] n.&v.评论；评注；注意 (初中英语单词)
• financial [fi´nænʃəl] a.金融的，财政的 (初中英语单词)
• california [,kæli´fɔ:njə] n.加利福尼亚 (初中英语单词)
• payment [´peimənt] n.支付；报酬；报偿 (初中英语单词)
• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)
• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)
• economy [i´kɔnəmi] n.经济；机制；组织 (初中英语单词)
• worker [´wə:kə] n.工人；劳动者；工作者 (初中英语单词)
• existence [ig´zistəns] n.存在；生存；生活 (初中英语单词)
• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
• management [´mænidʒmənt] n.管理；处理；经营 (初中英语单词)
• actually [´æktʃuəli] ad.事实上；实际上 (初中英语单词)
• transfer [træns´fə:] v.&n.迁移；调动；转让 (初中英语单词)
• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
• sympathetic [,simpə´θetik] a.同情的，有同情心的 (初中英语单词)
• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)
• shortly [´ʃɔ:tli] ad.立刻，马上；不久 (初中英语单词)
• tidings [´taidiŋz] n.消息，音信 (高中英语单词)
• fragrant [´freigrənt] a.芳香的，芬芳的 (高中英语单词)
• correspondence [,kɔri´spɔndəns] n.通信；符合；相当 (高中英语单词)
• dakota [də´kəutə] n.&a.达科他人(语) (高中英语单词)
• random [´rændəm] n.偶然的行动 (高中英语单词)
• senior [´si:niə] a.年长的 n.前辈 (高中英语单词)
• gotten [´gɔtn] get的过去分词 (英语四级单词)
• attest [ə´test] v.证明；作证；证实 (英语四级单词)
• colleague [´kɔli:g] n.同事，同僚 (英语四级单词)
• unwelcome [ʌn´welkəm] a.不受欢迎的 n.冷淡 (英语六级单词)
• enduring [in´djuəriŋ] a.持久的 (英语六级单词)
• enhance [in´hɑ:ns] vt.提高，增加；增进 (英语六级单词)
• genuinely [´dʒenjuinli] ad.由衷地 (英语六级单词)
• wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)
• caller [´kɔ:lə] n.呼喊者；访问者 (英语六级单词)
• spencer [´spensə] n.(羊毛)短上衣 (英语六级单词)
• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)