On Tape: Rep Won't Let Customer Quit AOL

That's just funny. Good thing the guy stuck with his guns, though. Just repeating "Cancel the account" got through eventually. I especially enjoyed the part where the rep asked if his father was home.
I'm glad to say I've never had an experience like this. All the service reps I've dealt with have accepted "I'd just like to cancel" as a reason to cancel.
Do you think the transcript should be posted here, too?

Well, Reyn. It sounds just like my customer rep with Universal homeowners and windstorm.

Feel free to do so if you wish.

From http://www.nbc10.com/news/9406462/detail.html
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.

Did it get resolved?

Related thread here -
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=75947

Timberlandko's long post of advice seems particularly useful.

No, Reyn, not yet. I don't want to repeat myself, B.C. but it worsens. Unfortunately, I don't think I can take my complaint to CNBC. <smile>

Well, it seems the customer lied to the AOL representative about usage. I can't blame the AOL guy for trying to figure out what happened.

This sounds almost identical to the call I made to disconnect Time Warner Cable...I should have recorded them too.

I don't understand what companies think they are going to gain by this strong arm tactic.

Do they think that you're finally going to say "well, you convinced me, you've been so good at showing me how good the service has been, I'm gonna stay with you...in fact, I want to upgrade my service."

The CSR in cases like this remind me of one of those stupid kids who gets on your nerves by repeating everything you say...just trying to finally get you to lash out. Doing things like asking unrelated questions, saying they are "trying to help"

Can you imagine that guy being your boyfriend or husband?

I think Vincent did very well with keeping his cool.

What I'm really curious about are why some people take jobs like that. I guess they think it's fun.

It doesn't matter what the reason was, whether the customer under-stated the usage or not.

When a customer wants to cancel, they shouldn't argue about it.

Hey, Reyn. Who is that cute guy in your avatar. <smile>

Two stories.
First I got a letter in the mail today saying:

This notice is to inform you that the issues leading to the cancellation of your policy have been resolved. Coverage under this policy has continued without gap or interruption. Trouble is, I don't know what coverage they are talking about.

AOL Time Warner.

I really got tired of having that box for pay channels that I could never watch half the time. Soooooo, I called and told the folks, " Come get that box." The man appeared the next day, took the box and in the process stole my husband's expensive watch that my son had given him. I reported him, but I could prove nothing.

I had a magazine try this with me. They told me to avoid hassles my subscription had been renewed. I called them and told them, in no uncertain terms, that I didn't appreciate being told a magazine I didn't resubscribe to was going to continue to be sent to me, and that any bills sent my way will be returned unpaid. I also let them know that any action taken on their behalf to try to settle any debt incurred by these bills would be dealt with.
They got the idea, apologized, and canceled my auto-renewal.
Maybe I was overly harsh, but I was angry. This may be what they are trying to do with you, in the hope that you will just pay the bill without question when it comes. I recommend you call these people and do something similar (if you haven't taken care of it already).

As for the stolen watch, that is just wrong and sucks on many levels. I wish there was something someone could do for you.

I had an experience a little like that when I cancelled my Citibank credit card.


Kept getting passed to different people....up the chain.....then:

"May I ask why you wish to cancel your account?"


No.


Long silence.


"But I really need to understand why you wish to cancel."


No you don't.


"But why?"


Because I do.


Long silence.




"May I ask why?"



Apparently you just did.



Long silence.



"Will you tell me why?"




No.



"Would you like us to keep the account open for you for six months in case you change your mind?"


No, thank you.



"But what if you need the money, it is a good emergency fallback."


No thank you.



"Ms ....... I need to inform you that we do keep the account open for six months."



Grrrrrrrrrrr.


"I beg your pardon Ms ........?"

I said grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....


"I'm sorry, I do not understand that."



It means close my account right now, please.



.......



and so on.

Lord, deb. I was about to quote you and say, "I've been pixilated."

Right, Arthur. It sucks all right. I think the word, "lawyer" may have had some effect.

Just some dude I picked at random.

Hmmm. Maybe you ought to start doing commercials for AOL, buddy.

I dont think the customer in an AOL contract has entered any obligation to account for his usage or motives.

The guy could have said, "I believe my cat is using the AOL to listen in on my thoughts" and been lying about that, and it still wouldnt have mattered a whit. The guy doesnt need a "good reason" to cancel - the user contract doesnt say, "you can only cancel if you convince us you have a good reason".

The AOL rep saw on his screen that the guy that he's got on the phone saying he hadnt used his account in years, in fact used his account a lot. So he knew the guy wasnt telling the truth. And? The guy had no obligation to tell the truth. It was his account, he wanted to cancel it, it didnt matter why.

If anything, in fact, the 'excuse' the guy used should have told the rep that here was a person who just didnt want to have to argue, and was gonna say whatever seemed easiest to cancel the account. So do it.

Really, Thomas, sometimes I suspect you're just posting something in order to be "the independent-minded guy who doesnt go along with what all the others are saying".

Why thanks for your feedback, nimh. I'll sure consider it, and I hope you feel better now that you've got this off your chest. (See? I can do customer service too!)

Ah, gerroffit Thomas.


I have to agree with Nimh on this.

Sure...these poor phoneschmucks are forced to do the spiel....but the lengths companies go to are ridiculous and even a bit sinister.

How many poor bastids give up on cancelling because of these tactics?