Comments on: AOL Apologizes, Officially.

By: NYgirl

NYgirl — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 10:17:00 +0000

The same thing happened with my sister when she tried to cancel AOL. Though she had to wait a long time to get through, the experience wasn’t as traumatic as Vinny’s.

Personally, despite the obvious issues that many people have had or are still having with AOL, there is still a soft spot in my heart for them. Their service was integral to my introduction to the ‘net and I will always be grateful to them for that. Besides, they have a great broadband, cable service section, Time Warner Cable, that I loved. I had to cancel it when I moved from one city to another that didn’t offer it. And believe me, the service was cancelled in a matter of seconds. All we had to do was return the cable box and the modem.

If AOL would just start innovating again and behaving like Time Warner, it would go a long way of preventing people from leaving en masse.

By: NYgirl

NYgirl — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 10:17:00 +0000

The same thing happened with my sister when she tried to cancel AOL. Though she had to wait a long time to get through, the experience wasn’t as traumatic as Vinny’s.

If AOL would just start innovating again and behaving like Time Warner, it would go a long way of preventing people from leaving en masse.

By: the after

the after — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 02:30:00 +0000

I am sorry for the employee. It is not his fault I am sure. He has been drilled to act like this on the phone. You know he is probably just trying to make his month to cover his living costs. I think the real “bad guy” here is the rush for more money (after the dial up > the broad band > the wider broader band > the gazillion GBs nano tech tube band > etc) that is sometimes eluding the human interaction factor… let’s be human and one initiative would be to help the guy who is now without a job. I completely understand Vincent’s way of doing in this case but was the guy on the other side of the line acting on his own or with a computer scenario to take care of such situation with a specific attitude??? just asking. cheers

By: the after

the after — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 02:30:00 +0000

By: kenny

kenny — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 05:24:00 +0000

Would you please post Nicholas Graham’s email address and physical address and his phone number? I will need to cancel in a month or two and would like to contact him to cancel my account.

kenny

By: James Conner

James Conner — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 01:17:00 +0000

I canceled my AOL account almost ten years ago — with difficulty, although not with as much difficulty as V.F. encountered. Then, for several years, I received calls from AOL sales reps trying to get me to rejoin. And I still receive AOL’s damned CDs. It would not surprise me if an AOL sales rep showed up at my front door.

AOL employs these sleezy tactics because they’re profitable — and because the MBA types behind them suffer no penalty worth calling a penalty. Are they embarrassed for a moment? Sure. But then the mass news media go onto another story and the money keeps rolling in. Why stop eating when the clover is so sweet and the public is looking at something else?

Only legislation that could put wayward executives in the slammer will put a stop to AOL’s transgressions (which are not unique).

By: James Conner

James Conner — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 01:17:00 +0000

Only legislation that could put wayward executives in the slammer will put a stop to AOL’s transgressions (which are not unique).

By: Fernando Gonzales

Fernando Gonzales — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 19:14:00 +0000

Wow… I found your audio recording at the ebaum site and I must say that was quite a trip. I remember cancelling my aol sometime in 2001 and the representative that was “helping me” said something like:

“you don’t want to cancel your account.” I thought cancelling a bloody subcription was going to be easy but I think the whole charade lasted like 40 minutes (w/ waiting of course)… I argued how their software was flawed and now that I was living the country and I wont be needing the i.s.p…

I think the letter of apology is really just for this recording that surfaced everywhere. And I’m sure someone at AOL must be reading this… CHANGE YOUR CUSTOMER approach!!! That type of Customer approach is almost like trying to get a transaction done at a mediocre University!! Why the hassle and the aggrevation?

Well.. nice post. I hope others Record their cases as well!

cheers

By: Fernando Gonzales

Fernando Gonzales — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 19:14:00 +0000

Well.. nice post. I hope others Record their cases as well!

cheers

By: AOL SUCKS!!!!!!!!

AOL SUCKS!!!!!!!! — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 10:34:00 +0000

Vinny SUCKS, you are truley a DICK!!!!! You are one to talk about someone not having a life! You must have a similar job to be defending them.(or no job at all and you have nothing better to do.)

By: AOL SUCKS!!!!!!!!

AOL SUCKS!!!!!!!! — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 10:34:00 +0000

Vinny SUCKS, you are truley a DICK!!!!! You are one to talk about someone not having a life! You must have a similar job to be defending them.(or no job at all and you have nothing better to do.)

By: Vinny SUCKS

Vinny SUCKS — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 01:33:00 +0000

I think this whole story is nonsense. What loser records phone calls. This guy obviously has no life. He just wanted to get publicity for this stupid site of his. Ok the aol guy may have been a little rude but this guy vinny was ignorant to him right off the bat. This poor guy from aol is just trying to do his job. Do you think he really wants to hear people like vinny all day. I would have just hung up on him and made him call back again. Im sure the AOL company makes employees like JON try and get you to stay with AOL. I think Vinny was a real prick to this guy and now he lost his job. Just think when Jon got home and told his wife and kids that he was fired because some little nerdy guy gave him an attitude while trying to cancel his account, and he was simply just following compnay policy by trying to get the customer to stay with Aol. That is just screwed up. To Vinny I say you suck for probbally ruining some guys life. GOOD JOB

By: Vinny SUCKS

Vinny SUCKS — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 01:33:00 +0000

By: Vera Lynn

Vera Lynn — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:51:00 +0000

I had the same experience, I wound up getting like 6 months free, every time I called to cancel they would add a free month. In my situation, I needed more then one computer user to be online at the same time. With one dial up connection, that wasnt possible. They just couldnt understand that and would argue with me every time I called.
Thanks for having the guts to tape your conversations. Kudos to you!!!
Vera Lynn
Kentucky

By: Vera Lynn

Vera Lynn — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:51:00 +0000

By: Lucy

Lucy — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 15:55:00 +0000

Ok, an advice to all future AOL cancellers: start the conversation with a stern:
1. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS CONVERSATION IS BEING TAPED AND MIGHT BE USED IN THE FUTURE FOR LEGAL PURPOSES. This makes taping legally admissible.
2. Movement I always wanted to start, and now is the time: any time you see those piles of AOL CD’s anywhere – CVS next to the cash register, ANYWHERE!!!! take the entire box (nobody will stop you!) and JOYFULLY DESTROY. Or at least render unusable by some kid desperate to get onto the net. AOL is environmentally irresponsible with all those little metal boxes, and plastic boxes containing billions and billions of their malicious CD’s…

By: Lucy

Lucy — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 15:55:00 +0000

By: Roni

Roni — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 14:10:00 +0000

Kudos to you Vinny! You are helping to expose what is wrong with Customer Service today; companies that can’t or won’t listen to the consumer. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like it would be so much better to end a contract or service on friendly terms (with the possibility of a return in the future, or at the very least, the consumer recommending their friends to said service)than to end on very bad terms with a possible lawsuit in the works. It boils down to treating people the way you want to be treated. And in dealing with the public, you’ve got to treat them with respect. If you have an irate customer, follow the proper channels, don’t get ugly or irate with them in return. It gets you nowhere but fired in the end.

By: Roni

Roni — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 14:10:00 +0000

By: S.B.

S.B. — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 13:40:00 +0000

Okay, why are people siding with “Jon”? Did you listen to the same tape we did? Clearly, Vincent was polite with the guy, asking him to cancel his account. Jon kept going on and on trying to get him to stay on, and obviously not listening. Why is it that companies like this claim to have their customers’ best interest at heart, but then do not listen to the customers? Do they really care for their customers? Vincent did not want to continue his AOL account, why would Jon continue to persuade him when at least 3 times (and possibly more) Vincent said no. Are you trained to go deaf on a customer? It seems like the only time we can get companies like this to listen is when we raise our voices or get ugly with them. Learn to take no for an answer and you won’t have this problem. I know these companies (telemarketers,etc)are trying to keep customers, but honestly, harassing the very people who help to keep your company going by giving you their money is not the way to go. Jon was rude and obnoxious and he deserved what he got, plain and simple. If you are going to work in customer service, then learn how to do it the correct way; don’t belittle a customer when he/she is trying to end a service. Remember, the customer is ALWAYS right, or do they teach that anymore?