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Comments on news posted 2006-06-22 09:41:20: Roughly a dozen people have submitted this story about a man taping his attempt to cancel his AOL account (audio here). ..
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pleekmo
Triptoe Through The Tulips
Premium
join:2001-09-14
Manchester, CT
clubs:
| Nightmare on AOHell Actually, my cancellation was pretty easy. I reduced my account to BYOA when I got DSL and when the account lay fallow for a year (I'd mostly used it as a backup account for my DSL) or so I cancelled it entirely to save money. In fact, that's exactly what I told them: I'm cancelling because I can no longer afford the service.
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HCN: Because you deserve a rest!
Free Omelas! | |
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MI Golfer
@63.102.x.x
| Tell them your recording them. A friend was cancelling his old AOL account, and he said he indicated to the AOL rep that he was recording the conversation. He said he had no hassles cancelling the account - just the typical "why" questions, etc.
Too bad that is what is takes these days. | |
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Rick
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-06
Waterbury, CT
clubs:
1 edit | Am I the only one who see's AOL's side of this..to some extent?
"Vincent" calls in, and wants to cancel. I don't recall the exact words but somewhere in there he cites the reason as he doesn't use it.
The AOL rep pointed out to him that the account was used for 545 hours the previous month. Ummm..hello?, that amounts to almost TWENTY THREE DAYS NON STOP 24 hours a day that account was online.
If I was the rep I'd be having problems understanding that one too.
Wouldn't YOU?
This was not some casual AOL user or, WHOMEVER was using the account wasn't that by any means. This rep would have no way of knowing whether someone else was using it as well and what I think he was doing was trying to understand what was going on.
Vincent LIED to this rep or at the very least, didn't fully explain his reasoning.
Ultimately, yes, the AOL rep is there to do what the customer asks them to do and should certainly cancel the account. But maybe Vincent could have afforded the rep a little slack here too first of all knowing that these reps are undoubtedly there under pressure trying to save aol accounts AND Vincents usage was REALLY extreme and his reasons for cancelling simply didn't jive with the usage history. This rep had every right to think that maybe there were other reasons maybe AOL could address. Maybe the rep thought he had lost his job and giving him a few months free could have helped. Who knows? Vincent wouldn't tell him the truth and the rep was trying to understand it to help the guy.
AOL also offers broadband and other options now and perhaps people aren't aware of that and if this was a person who was cancelling to switch to Broadband, maybe he would have been interested in what the rep had to say in that regard if he gave him a chance.
Bottom line is a rep has a right to try to save an account within reason, its their job..and just calling in to cancel something and just expecting them to just say..OK! No problemo, when you've been using it for 23 days a month nonstop does deserve a little more explanation I think.
As for this rep being fired for this...that was WAY over the top. | |
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The Folsom
Kindly Shut Your Noise Hole.
Premium
join:2003-01-31
Yucaipa, CA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Am I the only one who see's said by Rick  :AOL's side of this..to some extent? "Vincent" calls in, and wants to cancel. I don't recall the exact words but somewhere in there he cites the reason as he doesn't use it. The AOL rep pointed out to him that the account was used for 545 hours the previous month. Ummm..hello?, that amounts to almost TWENTY THREE DAYS NON STOP 24 hours a day that account was online. If I was the rep I'd be having problems understanding that one too. Wouldn't YOU? This was not some casual AOL user or, WHOMEVER was using the account wasn't that by any means. This rep would have no way of knowing whether someone else was using it as well and what I think he was doing was trying to understand what was going on. Vincent LIED to this rep or at the very least, didn't fully explain his reasoning. Ultimately, yes, the AOL rep is there to do what the customer asks them to do and should certainly cancel the account. But maybe Vincent could have afforded the rep a little slack here too first of all knowing that these reps are undoubtedly there under pressure trying to save aol accounts AND Vincents usage was REALLY extreme and his reasons for cancelling simply didn't jive with the usage history. This rep had every right to think that maybe there were other reasons maybe AOL could address. Maybe the rep thought he had lost his job and giving him a few months free could have helped. Who knows? Vincent wouldn't tell him the truth and the rep was trying to understand it to help the guy. AOL also offers broadband and other options now and perhaps people aren't aware of that and if this was a person who was cancelling to switch to Broadband, maybe he would have been interested in what the rep had to say in that regard if he gave him a chance. Bottom line is a rep has a right to try to save an account within reason, its their job..and just calling in to cancel something and just expecting them to just say..OK! No problemo, when you've been using it for 23 days a month nonstop does deserve a little more explanation I think. As for this rep being fired for this...that was WAY over the top. Good point, RoadRunnerRick.
I am not an AOL fanboi, and I have utilized their services on and off through the years, but if I had to endure that kind of response, I cannot say I would have been as civil as Vincent. John was as thick as a brick (not refering to Jethro Tull), impertinent, clueless and downright rude.
Ultimately, John WAS doing his job, but lacked the skills to achieve two disparate goals: provide AOL with retention and give good customer service in the face of a cancellation.
IMHO, AOL dropped the ball in terms of (retention)policy and (CSR) training.
Both Vincent and John are victims.
"Damn you, evil empires! D'oh!" *In the voice of the great Homer Simpson*
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Who is "Roger?", and why is everybody saying his name on the radio? | |
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JoeyDee
Premium
join:2004-07-23
Las Vegas, NV
 ·Cox HSI
| RRRick,
You are making the assumption that it's important or necessary for the CSR to understand. It's not. If a customer says, "I don't want to spend money with you anymore!" it's enough. Why do you owe them an explanation?
Bad company with poor customer relations guidelines.
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JammerMan79
Premium,VIP
join:2004-05-13
Prince George, BC
| Re: Am I the only one who see's I agree, The call probably would have been different if Vincent hadn't been caught in a blatant lie.
It is very important for a csr to understand why a customer wants to do something. Customers rarely understand the best way to go about changing an account. Also it's important to know why someone wants to cancel. The company needs to track this to make future "improvements".
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I may work for, but do not necessarily represent the views and beliefs of TELUS Communications. | |
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tmccann11
Who, Me?
Premium
join:2001-06-10
Bayonne, NJ
clubs:
| Calling Customer Service What I do EVERYTIME I call any customer service is simple and usually keeps me from getting the the runaround. The first thing I tell them before giving my name or account number is the following, "Under the law, I have to advise you that for my protection I am recording this conversation. Today is (today's date and time).
This usually spooks them into thinking anything they say is being recorded and they don't BS you....or don't say anything that can get the rep in trouble.
Tom
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"Good thing the whole innerweb isn't run with those 3.5 hour reboot time taking computers....I imagine hes running Windows Server 2003 with active directory as a domain controller on a Cascio watch." Barky | |
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khc987
join:2001-08-22
Jacksonville, FL | Re: Calling Customer Service try that with AOL and they will tell you that recording is not permitted and if you continue the call will be disconnected. | |
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Derek_Wildstar
Why the fck is Shane walking in there?
join:2001-02-24
Iscandar
2 edits | said by tmccann11 :What I do EVERYTIME I call any customer service is simple and usually keeps me from getting the the runaround. The first thing I tell them before giving my name or account number is the following, "Under the law, I have to advise you that for my protection I am recording this conversation. Today is (today's date and time). This usually spooks them into thinking anything they say is being recorded and they don't BS you....or don't say anything that can get the rep in trouble. Whenever our reps get someone who tells them that, we coach them to advise the customer that we do not consent to having the conversation recorded. By law, the customer is then required to stop recording or end the call. We also coach our reps to be tactful, respectful and as forthright with our customers as possible, and we mete out swift corrections to our reps who don't adhere to those guidelines.
We make sure our reps understand that the threat of recording conversations is a intimidation tactic used by customers who are either feeling threatened by our company or are just plain jerks on a power trip. That's why we constantly coach our reps to create as much of a helpful environment as possible, or escalate the call to someone who can. Those tactics help resolve issues much more quickly for the customers we want to help and weed out the jerks whose business we don't want anyway. Your choice of verbiage would seem to indicate that you fall into the second category, which is lamentable.
edit: I should add that I am not an employee of AOL, thank God, but I do believe that that poor bastard that got fired was just the victim of a confluence of poor management, poor judgement and a company desperately trying to bolster their perpetually poor reputation for appalling customer service. | |
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tmccann11
Who, Me?
Premium
join:2001-06-10
Bayonne, NJ
clubs:
1 edit | Re: Calling Customer Service said by Derek_Wildstar :Whenever our reps get someone who tells them that, we coach them to advise the customer that we do not consent to having the conversation recorded. By law, the customer is then required to stop recording or end the call. Why do you coach reps to do this? Your company, I'm sure as most others,"record calls for quality assurance purposes". Are you (not you personally, but your company) afraid that the customer can use what your reps say against you? Is there a reason your customers are not entitled to a record of the phone conversation but your co many is?
I have encountered this problem before, and just called back through Sprint's IP relay service, so I could have a record that way (they allow you to save and print your conversation. Reps are also less likely to try to intimidate you into keeping a service through a third party (my assumption).
I'm not trying to be antagonistic, just trying to understand the thought process on the other side.
Tom
Edit:
I just reread your response and I resent the assumption that I fall into the second category. I have stated my reasoning for my position above. I feel as a consumer, we are well within our rights to retain a record of the phone call as much as you are within you rights to reject it. However, what type of view should we have of your company, if you reps are only willing to speak "off the record".
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"Good thing the whole innerweb isn't run with those 3.5 hour reboot time taking computers....I imagine hes running Windows Server 2003 with active directory as a domain controller on a Cascio watch." Barky | |
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Derek_Wildstar
Why the fck is Shane walking in there?
join:2001-02-24
Iscandar
| Re: Calling Customer Service Yes, our company does monitor and sometimes record calls for quality assurance purposes, but only for those purposes. We do not retain any record of that call once it has been evaluated for coaching purposes. If a customer requests that the call not be monitored, we are required to drop off the line and any automated recording of that call is erased.
As far as your suspicion of our reps not willing to speak "off the record," I would advise you that any customer conversation is "on the record," regardless of whether or not the conversation is recorded. There are also numerous laws on the books to protect the customer from fraudulent business practices, regardless of whether you are conducting business in person, over the phone or on the Internet.
According to Federal law and most state laws (including New Jersey), there is something called the "one-party consent" rule, which means that you as a customer aren't required to notify the other person that you are recording the conversation. For example, if you are a journalist, you could record the conversation as a way to take the most accurate notes. Notice that Vincent Ferrari never once indicated to the AOL rep that he was recording the call, because he was using the information collected for journalistic purposes. However, Federal law and all states expressly prohibit the use of those recordings for "criminal or tortious purposes;" in other words, you can't use it for blackmail or as defense in a civil suit.
Consider also how you deal with customer service in a retail or face-to-face situation. Do you record those conversations, too? My guess is that you are among the 99.999% of people who don't, and I keep that 0.001% open to account for only the most insanely paranoid among us that possibly might. How do you "protect" your interests in that situation? Again, you have consumer protection laws in place to protect your interests from a company's actions, regardless of what anyone says to you.
Tom, I invite you to re-examine your own words from your original post and consider your motivation behind recording calls. You said that "EVERYTIME (sic) I call any customer service," you tell them that you are recording the call. You state your reasons for doing so are "for your protection" and that "this usually spooks them." Since by your own admission you do this on every call you make to a customer service rep when you aren't required to tell them, you can't use the recordings in a court of law, you aren't using the recordings for journalistic purposes and there are numerous laws in place to protect you from a company's actions regardless of what their reps say, what else are we to assume about your motivation?
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"One thousand years of pain!"
Mid-life Angst | |
| jsouth
Jsouth
join:2000-12-12
Wichita, KS
| I hate AOL. I had a bad experience at cancelling back when cable came to my town. I told them that if then did not cancel me they would regret it. They still wouldn't cancel me. So I went into the chat rooms for financial talk and started goofing around. I got reported about 5 or 6 times that day. I did this for about 3 days and they said they called and said they were cancelling my services for TOS violations. I told them "Good. That is what I wanted in the first place morons."
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BTK is guilty!!!! | |
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GilbertMark
Premium
join:2001-05-02
Gilbert, AZ
·Cox HSI
| Umm... Can't you just stop paying them? Cancel the credit card attached to the account or close the bank account they use to directly withdraw their fees from? It's AOL not a credit card company we're talking about here.
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Got a V3? Want to get the most out of it? Check out my site »hacktheV3.com | |
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Oleg
Bellsouth Fastaccess
Premium
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL | Techs My cable line was down so tow techs showed up got line back after the storm and cable still was out I have told tham my cable Is still out and he whispered "shit I am not fooling with it" and they told me call BrightHouse! | |
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thongsai
join:2002-07-04
Santa Rosa, CA | ah the memories same thing happened to me and my cousins account.
its funny now , but i was pissed back then. | |
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richk_1957
If ..Then..Else
Premium
join:2001-04-11
Minas Tirith
| AOL was my first ISP, long ago I grew tired of them quickly and wanted to cancel. They kept on giving me this BS about how they would lower my bill, ect. I finally got it through to them that I didn't want their service and they agreed to cancel my account. They still kept on billing my CC, though. I kept contesting the charge, but they kept on billing the card. I got mail from them that my account was closed, but this did not good. For another reason, I changed my CC#. After a couple months I got a letter from their legal department saying I owed them money and was 'evading' payment. I called them [AOL legal] and they were confused, why was I sent this, my account was cancelled? I sent them a copy of the letter, plus the correspondence of cancelling the account.
I never heard from them again [thank god]. | |
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odreian615
join:2006-01-18
Chicago, IL | Funny thing is AOL said they fired the rep I would think they would've promoted him | |
| cm82js86
join:2006-05-15
Greenville, PA
| AOL Cancellations and CD's Payback!!! I have this bright little idea. If you are interested please email me at cm82js86@gmail.com . I'm collecting AOL cd's that I get in the mail. While in college I collected over 1000 of them. (Mine and everyone from our dorms.) Anyways, I want to collect as many as possible and do 2 things with them. I want to mail Jonathan Miller (AOL CEO) 1 CD per day. I also want to take a road trip to Virginia, (I'm in Pennsylvania and the AOL HQ is based in VA.) to drop off the 'Extras'. Anyone interested on helping me, drop me an email and I can give you my address to mail me CD's or some stamps would be greatly appreciated. | |
| cm82js86
join:2006-05-15
Greenville, PA
| How to cancel AOL. I got this from good 'ol Wikipedia...
"...as a former employee who worked in cancellations, the easiest way is to just hang up. After you call in, verify your account (by providing screen name, answer the ASQ - account security question - the billing validator - last four digits of your payment method - or by providing the screen name, your name, and your complete address. Then simply say "I want to cancel my account" and hang up. By the guidelines AOL has set up, the representative MUST cancel the account..."
I want someone that has AOL to try this one. | |
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khc987
join:2001-08-22
Jacksonville, FL
 ·AT&T Southeast
| Re: How to cancel AOL. said by cm82js86 :I got this from good 'ol Wikipedia... "...as a former employee who worked in cancellations, the easiest way is to just hang up. After you call in, verify your account (by providing screen name, answer the ASQ - account security question - the billing validator - last four digits of your payment method - or by providing the screen name, your name, and your complete address. Then simply say "I want to cancel my account" and hang up. By the guidelines AOL has set up, the representative MUST cancel the account..." I want someone that has AOL to try this one. You better make sure that the rep verifys that account was verified ( thank you for helping me verify your account...) before hanging up | |
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Sid
Premium
join:2002-11-29
Santa Maria, CA | Just say Linux All you have to say is your going to be using linux. After about a 30 second pause while they look up on wikipedia what "linux" means, they will cancel your account without anymore hassles. | |
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AVITWeb
join:2002-01-11
Trenton, NJ
·Verizon FIOS
| Par for the course I used to have AOL. When I went to cancel, they first asked me why and I told them that I would be getting twice the speed for $5 more a month. The lady then proceeded to tell me that there was no way possible that the phone company could limit or cap my speeds.
I then told her..."and THAT is ANOTHER reason that I am cancelling." To find out about this is no surprise whatsoever. Thats how they operate. | |
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lostnthwoods
join:2001-12-03
Arcadia, OK
| Typical I've been through the same ordeal - even given almost a year's free service to try and get me to stay. It is a nightmare and those poor people have quotas of people that they have to retain or they get canned by America Online. I feel sorry for anyone that works there. | |
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FormerGuy
@cox.net | Lucky? Am I the only one who was able to easily cancel? They stopped trying on the first rejection and I was on my way. No additional billing from AOL at all, though I did put a stop on them just in case. | |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| Other places are just as bad.... AOL is NOT alone in this as some would believe - this happens in other areas like lawn care (TrueGreen/Chem Lawn) and I think I will go thru it when we try and cancel Orkin later this year. Home security systems can also be difficult to cancel.
This is ONe reason you do not cancel over the phone and you cancel EVERY way they tell you to especially in writing with the dates sent and return recept requested.
I am willing to beleive that the things the CSR said are VERY much against AOL policy - especially with the tone and with some of the things he said. If I wass his boss I would have done the same thing in a second.
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Brian
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Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ | Sad This is just sad. AOL has to just give this up already, pretty soon, they will be out of business entirely, they are desperate and should just let go. | |
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