Simply put…
Customer service has become a thing of the past. So much so that people (myself included) have become numb to realizing that whatever service they have paid for (Internet related or not – buying groceries for example) is usually accompanied by poor to out right rude responses if any customer service is needed.

For this very reason, I (and I would like to believe others) will frequent the companies who are striving to bring the “customer” part back to “customer service”. We should not reward those companies with our continued business if we feel as though we (customers) are looked upon as statistics and dollar signs rather than human beings who work hard for the earned dollar we are spending with them.

AOL (as I’ve read) has no excuse for allowing any policies that do not put the customer first. This of course would be true for all companies.

If the customer would like to give a reason for canceling a service or returning a product, then that is their prerogative. Otherwise the customer should ALWAYS come first if for only the simple reason that they may come back as customers, not to mention it’s just the right thing to do!

Vinny should be commended for what he has done and others should follow his example, who knows we may be able to breathe life back into customer service yet!

Thanks Vinny and remember, if you stir the pot for something you believe in there will always be those who want to tell you you’re not stirring correctly.

We should all think about where our values really should be.

Thx 4 listening,
Scott Reece

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

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.

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

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.

Or something like that.

BRB.