posted on June 21, 2006 08:46:09 PM new
On Tape: Rep Won't Let Customer Quit AOL
An incredible video from CNBC shows an AOL customer trying to cancel his account, but a phone rep won't let him do it. What customer Vincent Ferrari got when he tried to cancel his account was a lot of frustration.
It took him 15 minutes waiting on the phone just to reach a real, live person.
And, what happened next was recorded by Ferrari on audio and lasted about four minutes:
CLOCK READOUT - 00:00
AOL REPRESENTATIVE: Hi this is John at AOL... how may I help you today?
VINCENT FERRARI: I wanted to cancel my account.
AOL: Sorry to hear that. Let's pull your account up here real quick. Can I have your name please?
VINCENT: Vincent Ferrari.
CLOCK READOUT - 00:30
AOL: You've had this account for a long time.
VINCENT: Yup.
AOL: Use this quite a bit. What was the cause of wanting to turn this off today?
VINCENT: I just don't use it anymore.
AOL: Do you have a high speed connection, like the DSL or cable?
VINCENT: Yup.
AOL: How long have you had that...
VINCENT: Years...
AOL: ...the high speed?
VINCENT: ...years.
AOL: Well, actually I'm showing a lot of usage on this account.
VINCENT: Yeah, a long time, a long time ago, not recently...
CLOCK READOUT - 01:47
AOL: Okay, I mean is there a problem with the software itself?
VINCENT: No. I just don't use it, I don't need it, I don't want it. I just don't need it anymore.
AOL: Okay. So when you use this... I mean, use the computer, I'm saying, is that for business or for... for school?
VINCENT: Dude, what difference does it make. I don't want the AOL account anymore. Can we please cancel it?
CLOCK READOUT - 02:21
AOL: Last year was 545, last month was 545 hours of usage...
VINCENT: I don't know how to make this any clearer, so I'm just gonna say it one last time. Cancel the account.
AOL: Well explain to me what's, why...
VINCENT: I'm not explaining anything to you. Cancel the account.
AOL: Well, what's the matter man? We're just, I'm just trying to help here.
VINCENT: You're not helping me. You're helping me...
AOL: I am trying to help.
VINCENT: Helping... listen, I called to cancel the account. Helping me would be canceling the account. Please help me and cancel the account.
AOL: No, it wouldn't actually...
VINCENT: Cancel my account...
AOL: Turning off your account...
VINCENT: ...cancel the account...
AOL: ...would be the worst thing that...
VINCENT: ...cancel the account.
CLOCK READOUT - 03:02
AOL: Okay, cause I'm just trying to figure out...
VINCENT: Cancel the account. I don't know how to make this any clearer for you. Cancel the account. When I say cancel the account, I don't mean help me figure out how to keep it, I mean cancel the account.
AOL: Well, I'm sorry, I don't know what anybody's done to you Vincent because all I'm...
VINCENT: Will you please cancel the account.
CLOCK READOUT - 03:32
AOL: Alright, some day when you calmed down you're gonna realize that all I was trying to do was help you... and it was actually in your best interest to listen to me.
VINCENT: Wonderful, Okay.
CLOCK READOUT - 03:39
"I've never ever experienced anything like that," Ferrari told CNBC.
He recounts how the AOL representative - as a last resort even asked if his dad was home.
"I think I could've put up with everything, but at the point when he asked to speak to my father, I came very close to losing it at that point," said the 30-year-old Ferrari.
Ferrari then posted the call online, and the response was tremendous.
AOL sent him an apology and said the customer service rep was no longer with the company.
posted on June 22, 2006 09:12:52 PM new
so it was posted in the EO, big deal. I didn't see it there and it would have been OT anyhow, sort of.
I can't believe anyone stays with AOL and I have to believe the ones who do only stay because they're afraid to try and quit.
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Now We Know... Uninformed People Elect Uninformed Presidents
posted on June 23, 2006 05:42:49 AM new
" so it was posted in the EO, big deal. I didn't see it there and it would have been OT anyhow, sort of."
ya didnt see it over there?? I dont see how you could have missed it.You're not very well read are ya Profe-and you're a teacher?? Thats a sad statement for the education in America....its a sad,sad thing.
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If you dont want to hear the truth....dont ask the question.
posted on June 23, 2006 08:12:52 AM new
Hey Classic,
Stick to the smart assed remarks that you normally post. That is your calling.
The AOL thing really does belong here, but many feel because of all the abuse that goes on here, that it is OK to post "OT" on the ebay board. IMHO, they shouldn't, but there are also more important things in life than losing sleep over where someone is posting.
As far as AOL itself, is this really news? We have known for many years of this practice. I can state at least as far back as 1999 when I was investigating which company to go with.
posted on June 23, 2006 08:13:54 AM new
One more thought. I wonder how many people have had the same problem in the past few days since this recording went public?
posted on June 23, 2006 08:26:32 AM new
Classic, who died and made you moderator? I wouldn't equate being right on top of each and every thread here with being "well read". I only pop in for a couple of minutes once or twice a day and skim over stuff pretty fast. Maybe you figure everybody on this board is sitting on his fat ass in front of a monitor all day just waiting for a new thread to pop up, but it ain't so. Whoever spit in your beer, it wasn't any of us. Lighten up.
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Now We Know... Uninformed People Elect Uninformed Presidents
