Pure unalloyed gold (Thanks to Roonil!):

I work with a guy who used to manage reps at an AOL call center, and he told me about AOL’s 90-day retention bonus. In reading today’s “AOL Complaints Round-up” I thought you might get a kick out of knowing how an AOL CSR earns a $6 90-day retention bonus:

1] Customer calls in, insists their account be closed. No amount of cajoling sways them. The CSR tells them, “Fine, your account is closed.”

2] Said customer’s subscription status remains active, and they’re placed on the not altogether scrupulous “suspend billing for 60 days” list.

3] 30 days elapse, “ex-“customer is not billed; “ex-“customer is happy.

4] 60 days elapse, “ex-“customer has forgotten all about AOL, until…

5] On the 91st day after they thought they canceled, “ex-“customer starts getting billed again

6] CSR makes $6 for “retaining” a customer after 90 days

My co-worker says there are CSRs who make six figures annually because of these “retention” bonuses. Good for them, huh?”

How deliciously unscrupulous! What do you think, is this real? Sounds illegal.

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