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The 18 Most Hated Companies In America (They've all but given up on customer service)
Business Insider ^ | 10/12/2011 | Gus Lubin and Vivian Giang

Posted on 10/13/2011 1:50:26 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

You're not the only person who hates Bank of America, American Airlines and Time Warner.

We've updated our list of the worst companies on the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which gives remarkably accurate ratings based on thousands of surveys. The most-hated list hasn't changed much since June, because the companies rated since then are in the well-liked durable goods industries.

"Generally speaking, manufacturing companies have a much easier time to quality control their products," ACSI's David VanAmburg told us. "In terms of purchase and consumption, you're going to get much higher ratings than an airline company where there's a greater chance that something can go wrong."

The worst companies include big banks, legacy airlines and utilities.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: companies; mosthated
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To: max americana

I know that Ebay went to all Paypal a few years ago. But do they still allow people to use “Bidpay” (Or maybe it was called “Billpay”)? I think that was the service that some sellers would only take. And believe it or not was worse than Paypal IMHO.


61 posted on 10/13/2011 3:06:50 PM PDT by boop ("Let's just say they'll be satisfied with LESS"... Ming the Merciless)
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To: Tenacious 1

“I am surprised there weren’t any insurance companies.”

And here we’re publicly told how evil they all are. Especially regarding medical (no, it’s not “health”).


62 posted on 10/13/2011 3:08:10 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Pepco’s numbuh won? Who needs customer service for their Pepsi (not axin’ you, Captain Obvious!) ?


63 posted on 10/13/2011 3:11:05 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Let us prey!)
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To: Hodar
AT&T cuts service and coverage, until they lose customers

I was talking to a guy who came out to do a repair; he said the the AT&T upper management only cares about cell service; they wish the land-line business would just go away so they wouldn't have to put up with it.

Morons With MBAs™.

64 posted on 10/13/2011 3:11:57 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: discostu
Facebook doesn’t have any customer service. From day one it’s concept has been to put the site up and let people use it

You don't use them. They use you.

65 posted on 10/13/2011 3:18:04 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by nature, not nurture (Could be worst in 40 years))
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To: Blueflag

“MY experience with Delta is really quite good.”
_________________________________________________

Not for me, but it was in 2004 on a flight from Paris to Atlanta.
As the Stew was coming up the aisle from behind, she was serving drinks.
The guy behind asked for a Coke, and was charged one or two bucks.
When she got to me, I said I had never heard of an airline charging for drinks on am international flight, and certainly not for a soft drink.
She barked back at me...”Well, we are just trying to stay in business”. All of the stews looked pretty frumpy, as if they had slept in their uniforms.

Delta use to be a fine airline.
The pilot that flew their first 747 to Europe was a ham radio friend of mine.

It is sad that the US has no airline in the four or five star ratings, and only a few with three star, including Delta.
My last three flights have been on Qatar, a five star airline.


66 posted on 10/13/2011 3:19:08 PM PDT by AlexW
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To: henkster
Is U-Verse perfect?

The last time I dealt with those SOBs they missed three installation appointments, and each time tried to tell me it was my fault because I had signed-up for a later installation date.

AT&T Delenda Est.

67 posted on 10/13/2011 3:20:17 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Revolting cat!

RE: Pepco’s numbuh won? Who needs customer service for their Pepsi

Let’s not confuse PEPCO with PEPSICO. Two very different companies!


68 posted on 10/13/2011 3:26:00 PM PDT by SeekAndFind (u)
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To: SeekAndFind
No argument with Comcast being on the list. My bill creeps up every month even though I "round up" on my payment and pay a little more than I owe. And it's pricey to begin with.

To make matters worse, my Internet connectivity is very spotty even though my computer is only about six months old.
69 posted on 10/13/2011 3:28:59 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: steve86

I use them. I play games, I communicate with friends and family, and I have ad block plus installed so I don’t see whatever ads are targeting me. FB is still making money probably, but that’s OK, they’ve earned the money from my perspective, especially since it’s not my money.


70 posted on 10/13/2011 3:50:00 PM PDT by discostu (How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today)
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To: DuncanWaring

Actually it makes perfectly good sense. They make a ton more money from cell users than land lines, and the cost to maintain is much higher for land lines than cells. Who wouldn’t want their lower revenue higher cost service to go away?


71 posted on 10/13/2011 3:52:05 PM PDT by discostu (How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today)
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To: SeekAndFind

Number 18 - Bank of America (BOA)

One of the reasons the Business Insider (BI) authors offered for the BOA rating was their $5 charge for using certain debit cards. The Liberal BI cited Senator Dick Durbin’s rant over that charge on the floor of the Senate. What the BI failed to tell its readers was that Mr. Durbin’s own additions to the Dodd-Frank Frankenstein-esque financial services legislation set price controls on the banks in other areas; dictating what arrangements had to be between banks and retailers over charges retailers had been charged for credit and debit card transactions.

So Banks are told to increase their capital (preserve capital) to new higher standards, and Congress says let’s cut some of their revenue (looking for campaign finance contributions from the consumer retailers industry). In response, the banks, quite appropriately, looked for ways to offset the revenue loss dictated by Federal fiat.

Now, I am not letting BOA off the hook for its part in the mortgage business failures. BUT, Mr. Durbin (and Mr. Obama) have made the BOA a populist whipping boy and in part unjustly; in part due to the results of conditions their own legislative reach helped create.

Number 16 - Cox Communications

In their comments about Cox communications they mention that cable-TV companies in general are “less liked than satellite” TV companies; while satellite TV supplier Dish Network was ranked at 17, and one step worse than Cox. Go figure.

Number 15 - Pacific Gas and Electric

The major complaints given were increased rates and so-called “smart-meters”. Left out is any mention of legislative & regulatory issues and legislative mandates that in California are significant factors in both of those issues. Again, a case where the politicians cause some of the problems that result in issues that the private concerns are left shouldering all the public blame for.

I gave up reviewing their list.

I am not writing to defend in a general sense any one of the companies listed.

But the fact is that in many cases very unscientific and populist notions reign, when it comes to SOME (not all) of the perceived “problems” with some companies, and often SOME of their problems have been fostered by what politicians have done in the process of “regulating” the industries involved.

And, in spite of how many Airline companies are on the list, the fact is that average airfares, including the many new fees, and adjusted for inflation has maybe never been cheaper since deregulation began. Everybody has wanted to fly cheaper, since deregulation, and everyone still wants to fly cheaper, while all the certain costs, fuel and labor have continued to climb. The profit margins of most U.S. airlines have not been great, and yet they are one of the most capital-needy industries there is. It will be a wonder if all the aging planes of U.S. airlines will be replaced when they should be, over the next decade. And people wonder why added weight to a flight (that extra bag) has become more expensive.

Americans have been addicted to “cheap” and very much expecting champaign taste on a beer pocketbook. Our highly over-borrowed society has done that.

That’s over.

In many industries (not all) if you want “better” something, you are going to have to actually pay for it; and that will be with an outfit that offers it; and they will most likely offer it at a price that you most likely are not now paying. In some cases you won’t get “better quality” by just complaining. Complaining won’t restaff some hollowed out companies that striving for “cheaper” everywhere has produced.

There is a lot to complain about with some companies. There is a lot more looking-in-the-mirror that the whole society has to do.


72 posted on 10/13/2011 3:55:24 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Steve_Seattle
I can't believe Direct TV isn't on the list or the thread. I was lucky because my wife added the $5 a month coverage on the receivers in my house. Only one catch, if you execute that plan they added time to your contract. Basically my two receivers crapped out at a rate that I would never have them long enough to ever be able to cancel my contract without paying a penalty.

Funny thing is that I don't really miss TV. Soon everything will be available via broadband anyway.

73 posted on 10/13/2011 3:56:41 PM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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74 posted on 10/13/2011 4:01:14 PM PDT by TheOldLady (FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list)
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To: max americana

I haven’t sold anything in so long I gave up following Ebay updates and policies. The limit does not surprise me at all.

It used to be fun and profitable but people had to meddle and take more and more I guess.


75 posted on 10/13/2011 4:18:51 PM PDT by wally_bert (It's sheer elegance in its simplicity! - The Middleman)
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To: Wuli

‘Americans have been addicted to “cheap” and very much expecting champaign(sic) taste on a beer pocketbook. Our highly over-borrowed society has done that.’

You are so right. We are spoiled - and rotten, I might add.

Look at the complaints about Best Buy (I agree) - more “big box” stores; i.e., “warehouse” stores. There is no good service in those places.

You get what you pay for - cheap means no service. But it seems Americans are FIRST addicted to “cheap” - Southwest (has anyone really compared the costs? Are food/baggage fees good because you don’t pay if you don’t want it whereas SW just plain doesn’t offer it? I’ve never known anyone to love them except here on FR), BestBuy, Wal-Mart, CostCo, Home Despot. They seem to care nothing except “I got it cheaper there” - even when they’re treated like criminals with “assistants” checking over your bags.


76 posted on 10/13/2011 4:56:36 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: wally_bert

Who was the woman in charge who recently got so much “credit” (even here on FR) for “updating” and “shoring up” eBay?

Seems to me since she’s been around it’s been bastardized.


77 posted on 10/13/2011 4:58:36 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: Wuli
One of the reasons the Business Insider (BI) authors offered for the BOA rating was their $5 charge for using certain debit cards.

Gee, I wonder how they made money before debit cards were invented.

78 posted on 10/13/2011 5:23:20 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: discostu

That’s no excuse for missing three installation appointments and a voice-mail hell system that literally goes around in circles, asking the same questions over and over.


79 posted on 10/13/2011 5:25:27 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I just recently had an altercation with AT&T that was frustrating. I had spent around 25 hours on the phone trying to work it out with them.

I finally had to file a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission to make them talk to me. Ultimately they waived all charges and we worked things out. But they had to be dragged creaming and kicking to the table.


80 posted on 10/13/2011 5:34:26 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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