Annoying AOL operator fired

[mali]

Fucking BOOYAH!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13447232/from/RS.3/

Two weeks ago, Vincent Ferrari tried to cancel his 5-year-old accounthe'd heard from others in the blogosphere that AOL customer service could be awful. So he recorded the conversation with a representative named John.

CNBC later interviewed Ferrari by phone about his experience. I've never ever experienced anything like that, he said.

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 30-year-old Ferrari.

Ferrari then posted the call online, and the response was tremendous. AOL sent him an apology.

Chris Denove of market research firm J.D. Power & Associates says companies talk about customer satisfaction but actually see their call centers as a costly investment.

They're trying to squeeze every penny out of that cost center without regard for what may be happening, the damage that may be done, said Denove.

AOL later tried to make amends. They sent a statement to CNBC claiming that the incident was inexcusable and that the customer representative, John, violated guidelines and was no longer with the company. We're going to learn from this. We can do better, and will," the statement said.

To put this claim to the test, CNBC reporter Matt Lefkowitz called again. Here is a rough transcript:

CNBC: I want to cancel my AOL account.

He was promptly disconnected. He tried again.

CNBC: I need to cancel my AOL account. I never really use it. ... Well, if I can cancel it anytime, why can't I cancel it now? Can I just cancel my account?

It took him 45 minutes to finally get his account canceled.

Vincent Ferraris blog is now inundated with others who say they've suffered the same fate, making him the patron saint of customer dissatisfaction.

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 reps 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."

[devilishone]

Read "we're gonna use scramblers so people can't record any of our fucking phone calls again"

[mali]

Yah i reall have a hard time believing AOL didn't know he was doing this. Most call centers have a QA system in place, which involved recording random calls, and supervisors listening, to grade the operators. My last job, we did this ever two weeks, and if they did well, they got a bonus incentive.

[MichaelG]

I want to hear the fired guys story.

I bet he will be revealing some AOL secrets.

[BlueCC]

I don't believe AOL fired anyone.

[Noahfingway]

I thought from the title of the thread..."They'd have to fire them all"

I tried several times to quit thos jerks and ended up with about 2 years worth of free internet til I finally stuck to my guns and got it done.

[ryanknapper]

I worked as a phone monkey for a while. I am 100% sure this guy was called into his boss's office and was told, "John, you have done everything we asked you to. You have followed your training and stuck to the scripts perfectly. Because of this, you're fired. Also, your AOL account is no longer free. Just give us a call if you ever want to cancel."

[Noahfingway]

http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/...all-185493.php

Member Services,
Recently, some AOL Member Service calls were posted on the Internet that do not reflect our serious commitment to Member Advocacy. On any interaction, you should assume that it could be posted on the web.
You have tough goals, and no doubt it can be difficult to deal with a member calling very frustrated with some aspect of their service. But we must remember the importance of creating a good member experience by being straightforward, helpful, respectful, friendly, and positive during every interaction. Imagine yourself on the other end of the phone, how would you want to be treated? Being an advocate, on behalf of members, strengthens the very foundation of what AOL stands for. AOL is our members.
In every member contact, I need you to step into your Trusted Advisor role and respond to our members in a manner that shows we are on their side. I need you to really hear what our members are saying, actively listen to them as you work to meet their needs, establishing a sense of trust and mutual respect.
I am proud to be a part of this tremendous team and know it's your personal mission to watch over our members. Please continue to focus on building a strong business - a business with member advocacy at its core.
Sincerely,
Scott Falconer
EVP, Member Services




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[the big lebowski]

Originally Posted by MichaelG

I want to hear the fired guys story.

I bet he will be revealing some AOL secrets.

leo leport (sp?) of TWIT podcast said that they tried to contact the guy for an interview. his response was that he couldn't because he was advised by his lawyer not to.

[Dana]

That dude is on quite the press spree! My bf is a producer for a radio station in Detroit, MI and got him for a phone interview as well. Good times. And thanks GOD that dude was fired. Now if they could just fire AOL.....