Posted on 05/26/2014 8:28:39 AM PDT by null and void
Cable providers rank worst in customer satisfaction According to the latest survey by American Customer Satisfaction Index, by far the biggest (and often most accurate) study in the country, cable providers Comcast and Time Warner Cable have the lowest customer satisfaction ratings of all companies . . . in all industries . . . in all of America.
And that’s not even the bad news: Comcast and Time Warner Cable were the only two companies to score below a 60 on the ACSI’s 100-point scale. They’re lower than perennial customer satisfaction basement dwellers United Airlines, Bank of America, Sprint, Aetna — even the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power scored a higher customer satisfaction rating.
In the report, the ACSI states that the low satisfaction ratings for Comcast and Time Warner Cable should make the two companies reconsider their upcoming merge, which would quickly make them the largest content provider in the American broadband and pay TV markets.
“The combination of low and downward-trending customer satisfaction for both Comcast and Time Warner Cable is cause for concern amid merger talks between the two companies,” ACSI writes. “The issue at stake is not that the proposed merger will limit competition as the service territories of the two companies do not overlap. Instead, it is the question of whether a combination of two pay-TV providers with such poor records could possibly create a better customer experience, especially given the volume of evidence from ACSI data suggesting that mergers in service industries tend to damage satisfaction — at least in the short term.”
In all likelihood, the results of this survey will play no part in the two companies finalizing their deal. “Comcast and Time Warner assert their proposed merger will not reduce competition because there is little overlap in their service territories,” says David VanAmburg, ACSI Director. “Still, it’s a concern whenever two poor-performing service providers combine operations. ACSI data consistently show that mergers in service industries usually result in lower customer satisfaction, at least in the short term. It’s hard to see how combining two negatives will be a positive for consumers.”
Worth pointing out is the effect the Internet has had on how customers now view their television subscriptions.
“The Internet has been a disruptor for many industries, and subscription TV and ISPs are no exception,” says Claes Fornell, ACSI Chairman and founder. “Over-the-top video services, like Netflix and Hulu, threaten subscription TV providers and also put pressure on ISP network infrastructure. Customers question the value proposition of both, as consumers pay for more than they need in terms of subscription TV and get less than they want in terms of Internet speeds and reliability.”
Also worth noting from the study is that Samsung has now surpassed Apple as America’s favorite cell phone maker. The company earned an all-time high ACSI score of 81, while Apple fell for the second year in a row, this time by 2%, to a score of 79. Should Apple fall out of the top two is a serious concern, as the field is getting tight — Motorola Mobility and Nokia (Microsoft) both scored 77, respectively, and despite the PR nightmare they’ve had to go through this past year, let alone the fact that most of their market has pretty much disappeared, BlackBerry’s satisfaction rating rose 7% to a score of 74.
“Samsung has gone from up-and-comer to top-of-the-heap on the strength of its smartphone portfolio,” says VanAmburg. “Apple’s magic isn’t gone, but the luster has dulled on its older models. Each iteration improves on the last, but Apple’s year-long product refresh cycle is an eternity when a new Android phone seems to be released every week.”
As long as we’re on the topic of smartphones, Verizon Wireless has the highest customer satisfaction rating this year, climbing 3% to 75. Following suit are T-Mobile (69), Sprint (68), and AT&T Mobility (68).
“Consumers once used their cell phones primarily for talking, whereas now smartphones are becoming lifestyle accessories that we just can’t live without,” says Fornell. “But these powerful devices rely on networks that are still playing catch-up with consumer demand.”
That would be Racis’
I live in a small town and the only options we have are Sat TV, and DSL. The cable company pulled in their wires out.
I tore several new assholes within their corporate structure....and when I see a mall kiosk touting their cable, I loudly proclaim my now well-rehearsed few sentences.
I'm still livid over getting a collection demand letter, almost two years after the fact.
If most municipalities allowed competition, there would be more pressure to offer better service and more creative channel packages. We were stuck with Cr@pcast and they knew it so they didn’t really try. The month Fios entered the picture, they suddenly became more responsive and offered better service. Since we were calling all the time for service related problems, my neighbors and I actually had a few execs stop by and personally ask us to stay and promised “better service” free upgrades and gave us their direct phone numbers.
Racis’???!!!
Common Core spelling, where you have to chaeck your White privilege spelling at the door....
We had a Cox Cable bundle. when we cut the cord, we ported the Cox Voip # over to an addon account with our T-Mobile account. There is no phone associated with it, we just forward it to Mrs. Chandler's cell phone. The addon account is around 10 bucks a month.
All in all, we're saving over 100 bucks a month.
The 20 dollar over-the-air antenna works pretty well, but I am getting pressure to install one on the roof.
Netflix and Amazon are fighting these bastards.
+
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-TV-streaming-media-player/dp/B00CX5P8FC
I am considering a quadcore Ouya to put XBMC on.
If I didn’t have my 87 year Aunt who likes certain things on cable I would drop it in a heart beat.
My TV tastes have changed greatly and I really do not see the value of Cable, Satellite or ATT Uverse.
I have a ROKU player and find that I much prefer Binge watching until I get bored with a show and go on to something else.
Frankly I could drop all of it and just read, there just doesn’t seem to be much of anything on TV or Cable these days that is compelling to watch and I throw sports in there also.
Amen Brother!!!!!!!!!!!
Cablevision would probably be at the top of the heap if they were just a little larger: they’re up to charging me $60 per month just for Internet.
Tey can't. They long ago paid off Congressmen to write the law so that they can only offer bundles. So sorry, chum.
Eff em.
TWC & Comcast have picked up that "bug," that they don't have to care.
I have to deal with these carriers on a regular basis as a network administrator, and I can say that they really don't care, because they ARE the "phone companies." Even AT&T, as it's gobbled up the Baby Bells, has gotten worse and worse. Bell South used to be a breeze to work with, but now, even with over 350 remote locations using AT&T Internet services, have been having nothing but trouble. So we're forced to find new providers, and guess who that leaves? Ding, Ding, Ding.... TWC & Comcast. UGH!
On a personal note, I hate having to deal with TWC every 9 months to a year, when they decide to change by rates, and I have to threaten to use AT&T (since that's the only other carrier in my locality.) I live in Overland Park, which screwed the pooch with Google Fiber, and there's no guess when they'll come back with their high speed service.
Mark
LOL
She is a funny gal.
While I was a customer of TWC, they ran new cable, but simply laid it on the ground next to my chain-link fence. At the end of the fence in my back yard, they simply ran it up and over the fence, then along the foundation of my house.
I requested they bury the cable for 4 years, and kept being told they'd get around it it. During that time, the cable was cut by lawn mowers at least 7 times, and they had to come out to splice it. The last time they spliced it, they decided to simply run it along the top of the fence in the back yard, but still left it on the ground around my house. I have since sold the house.
Mark
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