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[Oracle Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Oracle]

On Tape: Rep Won't Let Customer Quit AOL

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.

Listen to it:

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

They pulled the same with me. They talked me into keeping it for $7.95 a month. I felt for that price we all kept our email address. They are good for when I travel so there dial up end is worth it.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

The thing is that Vncent is probably doing exactly what he has been trained to do. If his call is one of those being monitored by a supervisor "for quality control purposes", he would get written up if he simply cancelled the account.

In Vincent's training program he has been coached on exactly what to say and how to respond when a customer calls asking to cancel an account. Vincent has been told to review account activity, and given responses to use depending on the amount of activity the account shows. He has been coached specifically on how to show he is trying to help when he tries to deflect the call into continuing service instead of simply cancelling. If it's a good training program, he has been done roleplaying where he is the operator responding to a call to cancel an account, pretty much running through exactly the scenario depicted. All of his lines and responses are things that he has specifically been trained to say. The lines about hoe he's just trying to help - that is obviously a trained response on how to respond to that specific type of statement.

IOW - he's just being a good employee, doing exactly as he's been trained. If he got fired or reassigned because of this call, that is the height of hypocrisy by AOL. If anyone were to get reprmimanded or disciplined, it should be the supervisors who designed the training program and created the incentives for Vincent to behave as he did.

[urple2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close urple2]

Wow,that was great !
I also had to freak out on the woman to get her to cancel my damn account. I luv my 4.95 a month juno.

___

Bill

[VVTrader Member Find all posts View Profile Close VVTrader]

Ditto on cancellation

Yeah, I experienced this too.

[nursetanya1973 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close nursetanya1973]

I have experienced this with many types of services, an online gaming site, an online music site, and the newspaper to name a few. Maybe not quite to the extent of that call, but pretty close.

Does, unfortunately, seem to be the way they are trained.

Oh, and just try to cancel a credit card!

Tanya

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

Yes, it is how they are trained, and monitored. They have a standard train of thought when you are trying to cancel services.

I had this happen when we wanted to cancel a rewards type program....it started pretty much that same way, but I just cut in, saying:

"Listen, Trevor, I know you are told to go through the ropes telling me how much I am losing by canceling this service...I know you are required to "advise me" but you know what, I don't have the time to put up with it, and I am a full-fledged adult who knows my own mind...so tell your bosses, and I am telling them right now, as I know they monitor your calls, that I want my service canceled and do it right NOW without any more scripted efforts to try to make me change my mind...it is your choice, you can either do as I ask, and I leave as a customer who holds your company in higher regard, or you make a choice to go through your lists of objections, thus ticking me off, and I then call 10 of my friends who will call 10 of their friends and we will all bad-mouth your company for years to come."

Guess what....the reply: "I understand your feelings, and I will cancel your membership, but I have to let you know that we just wanted to be clear about what you are losing out on, but I am canceling it as you requested."

End of story.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

from MSNBC story, AOL dishes up this load of crock:

After this story aired on CNBC Tuesday, AOL issued the following statement, attributed to spokeperson Nicholas Graham.

"At AOL, we have zero-tolerance for customer care incidents like this - which is deeply regrettable and also absolutely inexcusable. The employee in question violated our customer service guidelines and practices, and everything that AOL believes to be important in customer care - chief among them being respect for the member, and swiftly honoring their requests. This matter was dealt with immediately and appropriately, and the employee cited here is no longer with the Company.

"I've spoken directly to Mr. Ferrari and personally apologized to him for what took place. Many here have taken a strong interest in this episode - even going so far as to email all customer service representatives about it as an example of how we should never treat a member. We're going to learn from this - and continue to make the necessary, positive changes to our practices. This was an aberration and a mistake, and we have to manage these incidents down to zero as best we can. That means improving our already strong safeguards in place today, and maintaining rigorous internal and external compliance methods. We can do better - and we will."

"Near-zero tolerance." What an insult to the intelligence of the average person.

[mschatz Member Find all posts View Profile Close mschatz]

RCI too

I had a similar incident recently with RCI. I called to inquire about extending a hold on a unit and I could not get a word in edgewise with the CSR insisting that I extend my membership which doesn't expire until the end of 2009. The agent could not care less why I called.

I then proceeded to be very angry and explained to them that when a customer calls RCI, it is not appropriate for RCI to set the agenda. They might want to consider why the customer is calling and after satisfying the customer, then they can engage in their sales pitch.

I was more than a little angry.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

I had a similar incident recently with RCI. I called to inquire about extending a hold on a unit and I could not get a word in edgewise with the CSR insisting that I extend my membership which doesn't expire until the end of 2009. The agent could not care less why I called.

I then proceeded to be very angry and explained to them that when a customer calls RCI, it is not appropriate for RCI to set the agenda. They might want to consider why the customer is calling and after satisfying the customer, then they can engage in their sales pitch.

I was more than a little angry.

Wow, does that ring a bell or what ? Me, too (and we probably have company).
I now say to them, "when I get a decent trade, I'll extend my membership and not until then. So, try again looking at your availablity again, will you ?".
Do they get a commission when you extend a membership ?
Beags

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Do they get a commission when you extend a membership ?
Beags

Yes they do. I am not sure if they get it on exchanges but they get a Commission if you extend your membership.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Dear
Do you know how much per membership or is it a percentage ?
Thanks.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Dear
Do you know how much per membership or is it a percentage ?
Thanks.

No idea but I doubt it's much.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

So, I'm the only one the folks seem happy to see go!?

[Guest Close Quarterbore]

I was unable to hear the audio so I googled and found this link:

Blog: http://digg.com/technology/MP3_Recor..._to_cancel_AOL

Here is the Audio:

http://www.jessejcollins.com/files/a...neditfinal.mp3

The end is FAR better then the transcript indicated.... I downloaded the audio in case others can't get it later...

AOL: Well I'm sorry...I don't know what anybody has done to you Vincent. This is uh...

VIN: You are annoying the shit out of me, that is what you're doing to me. Cancel the account please.

AOL: Well that goes both ways my friend.

VIN: Good. Can you please cancel the account?

AOL: Pffft...allright some day when you calm down your going to realize all I was trying to do was help you and it was actually in your best interest to listen...

VIN: Wonderful, ok yeah great

AOL: ...when that epiphany happens just give us a call back. Now to process your cancellation request, I have to tell you about a free benefit available for valued members like yourself...we will continue to provide you some features available...

VIN: I don't want it. I know the drill. I don't even want it, don't even bother.

AOL: If you want me to cancel this account, your going to let me speak and give this paragraph ok? Cause if not, we can just argue all day I really don't care to be honest with you. But your going to listen to me if you want this turned off. So, can I speak now?

VIN: Go right ahead.

The AOL ASS reads his paragraph and this concludes the call.