How not to ask for your annual fee to be waived (which I failed miserably to do today, a few days before my annual fee fell due). Verbatim transcript:
NC: Hi, I would like to cancel my Woolworths Qantas credit card.
After being transferred to cancellations
WOW CC person: Why do you want to cancel the card?
NC: I like the card a lot but am currently mostly using other cards that have a higher QFF earn rate per $1 spent.
WOW CC person: Can I offer you 1000 QFF points for you to keep the card open?
NC: Thanks, tempting, but I have a lot of QFF points right now.
NC waits for next offer to come, thinking it will be a fee waiver
WOW CC person: I'll just put you on hold for a moment
NC thinks that perhaps the supervisor needs to approve the fee waiver
WOW CC person: Done, Mr NC, the card is cancelled.
NC: What ! Ahh, actually, I'll take the 1000 QFF points and keep the card!!
WOW CC person: I'll check, please hold.
NC thinks that he may be an idiot.
WOW CC person: Sorry sir, too late. The card is cancelled. We will post your closing statement shortly. Have a nice day.
NC knows that he is an idiot.
So, the moral of my feeble attempt at getting an annual fee waiver is: get in first and ask for it. If they say no, say thanks anyway I'll keep the card open. Or you'll be one card lighter in your wallet, like me!