You've got crap: AOL is exposed

America Online is famous for the expression but recently they've become famous for something else: customer service. And not in a good way. A man named Vincent Ferrari recently recorded his attempt at cancelling his AOL account and it exposed what many of us ex-AOL users already know: AOL's customer service is annoying, slow and full of crap. Here's the recording:
http://media.spikedhumor.com/34893/aolcancellationeditfinal.mp3

It took him 15 minutes just to talk to a real person, then he was bullshited, ran around, and delayed for 5 before they finally got the message that hey maybe this dude wants to cancel his account. "John" from AOL even had the nerve to say "if you want me to cancel this account you're going to listen to me." What ever happened to customer service? AOL used to be king of the internet, now they have to resort to low tatics to retain customers and stay in business.

AOL's downfall has already started. They continue to charge outrageous prices for outdated dial-up, (around 26 dollars) the same price that many high-speed internet companies charge for DSL or Cable. I personally have Cable internet at 9/MB a second for 19.95 a month and if I couldn't afford that I would go with 9.95 dial-up providers like Netzero, Juno, PeoplePC, and others but I sure as hell would never pay 26 dollars to get prehistoric dial-up. Second their pushy tatics and forced software installs aren't helping anything either. Their software comes bundled with many programs such as AIM and others and to the average computer user is almost impossible to get off. Third their service and tatics borders on malware/spyware. If your a full member or just have their e-mail service you are constantly bombarded with adverts and e-mails about their premiums services like call waiting. Such e-mails get annoying. Why should you give money to a company that gives you spam in return

And AOL wonders why it loses hundereds of customers a day. Not to mention those damn CDs that come with almost anything electronic.

In an official apology to Vincent by AOL, a represenative called this an "isolated incidented." If it's so isolated then why is the internet abuzz with horror AOL cancellation stories. I personally was an AOL customer for 2 years (2003-2005) when I went to cancel my account I got the same run around. They made it sound like I would die without AOL. They kept offering more and more free hours...but they missed the point I was trying to make. I finally got them to terminate my account by threatening a lawsuit. I've heard worse like people having to cancel their credit cards in order to get AOL to stop billing them

AOL, you really want to make a change? How about charging a fair price for dial-up, listening to the customer, and stop your aggressive marketing policies. Only then will you get new members and retain current ones. But if you continue with your bullshit you will only see more member leave and even less new members.