“I called to cancel the account. Helping me would be cancelling the account. Please help me and cancel the account.”

It reminded me of Tom Cruise telling Cuba Gooding Jr., “Help me help you!” Thanks for the laugh, Vinny.

BRB.

Or something like that.

Me thinks Mr. Zarzueta needs to switch his Kool Aid…

IMO, you were a lot more polite and Professional than most would have been. You didn’t get that guy fired, He did.

Big copanies like that try to push everything too far….

The tactics aren’t unique to AOL; they’re just the rudest and the crudest. (Any organization having a *separate* number to call for cancellations acts the same way and maintains a similar scumbag army.) Don’t feel even an ounce of guilt about the guy losing his job. You could not have been more polite; and he had to have known, on accepting the position, that he’d be entering a volatile, inhumane, self-destructive, anti-consumer occupation where his days would be spent preying on human weakness and his own dignity would be worthless. So any pouting from either him or AOL is laughably inappropriate — like the protests of a schoolyard bully whose minions have turned against him.

I cancelled my own AOL account successfully some years ago, but only after hearing the horror stories and then fabricating an elaborate lie (about long-term employment in a remote part of the world). I hated doing that, but it worked. It still took almost 30 minutes, and I wasn’t nearly as civil or composed as you. Thanks again.

The only reason I’m posting here is that I’m fairly sure both parties will view it eventually.

Vinny,

You did something many of us have wanted to do for a long time. You had the balls to just go ahead and do it by posting it for the world. Long ago (once it dawned on me that “…this phonecall may be recorded…” worked both ways), I paid a visit to my local Radio Shack and did much of the same for personal records. My recordings differ only in that they’re meant to be a sort of adio receipt (if you will) of a transaction. I wonder now how a company would react to my asking, “before we begin this conversation, I’d like a copy of the recording once this transaction is copleted”.

While listening to the recording, I can honestly say that I would have reacted in much the same way as you did. Please note that since my recordings are NOT meant for publication, my interractions with CSRs are strictly representations of my personality and are not influenced by premeditated publication whatsoever.

You broke balls that needed breaking and for that, WE thank you.

Bob,

First of all, sincere condolences regarding your child. My wife and I have been there. Unfortunately, there is no subtle way to add that news to your blog without it seeming like a reach for sympathy. As well spoken as you and Vince are, you both seem to focus only on yourselves regardless of the moment or the situation (as far as this topic is concerned). References to your experiences with Smart Mobs and the obvious decline of the phenomenon had me feeling sympathetic briefly but I also felt sorry for BetaMax engineers. What they did was wonderful but they moved on and many made wonderful technological advancements with their experiences.

Although I understand your point (predetermined recording meant for the blog), I also understand that blogging in and of itself requires content that’s worth the time of the reader and an open invitation for others to critique your thoughts and actions. Your header says it all: “Narcissism at its finest”.

This is not about the AOL recording. This is about “pay attention to ME” and you are both equally guilty of nacissism. Vince just happens to have done something that more people applaud at the moment. I include myself in that category.

I think think you guys would garner a few more months of fame if you contacted each other, shook hands and thought seriously about a collaboratorve effort. You already have blogging in common. That’s a start.

Best of luck to you both.

Kol