Cancelling AOL ⇒
25 August 2004, early afternoon
A humourous story begins half way into this article. This link was found via evhead.
This is a post from my link log: If you click the title of this post you will be taken the web page I am discussing.
That’s a good story… but I got that beat. Try calling American Express – not even to cancel, just to get your address changed or to check your balance, or really anything. You’ll get one of two people:
1) Angry american woman who’ll do a great impression of a stereotypical attitude-doused non-white middle-aged woman “Uh-uh honey, what did you just say? You want to do WHAT?”
2) By far the more fun, this is the guy you get after hours when the call in center gets transfered to the out-sourced country where an overtly cheerful dude will be ridiculously polite and cheerful asking you about your business. That part’s fine. Better than the attitude woman.
But the moment, and I mean the second you finish your actual business (i.e. changing your address), the guy becomes cross between a needy lover and a used car salesman.
“Because you’re such a valued customer, we have a limited, one-time only deal for YOU! For no money down, no monthly payments, we’ll give you insurance!! That’s 50 million dollars in coverage! All for free!”
“Um, thanks, but I don’t need that and I have to go….”
“Yes, miss, I see. But what you don’t understand is ”
“Yeah, um, I really don’t want it, but thanks, now, I have to go…”
“How about a supplementary card? So your husband, children, grandchildren can have the convenience of…”
“Um, I’m single, no kids, and I don’t need that…”
“Oh, I understand. But what about yourself? Wouldn’t it be great to have a few extra cards just lying around?”
“No, listen, I really have to go..”
... and this goes on and on, but the whole time he keeps his polite tone and his infinitely-reasonable, I-want-to-be-your-friend-and-help-you-out
voice, so when you finally get to the end of your rope and hang up, you feel like you just stabbed mother theresa
by serena on August 27 2004, 1:16 am #