The 10 Best (and 10 Worst) Companies for Customer Service
Large companies today spend billions to manage their public image. And in many industries no part of that image is more important than how people think a company’s customer service is. Customer Service is becoming a lot more than an ‘industry buzzword’ as large companies who treat their customers poorly are starting to lose customers right and left.
Customers want good customer service, but if companies can just hire good PR people to cover problems up, how do we, as customers, ever demand that companies improve. We thought that a good start would be to close the information gap, so that customers know who is good and who isn’t. With that in mind, we have sifted through customer surveys and studies as well as some real-life experiences of customers, to come up with a list of the 10 best and the 10 worst companies for customer service.
The Best Ones:
1. APPLE – Dells’s loss, Apple’s Gain?
The American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ASCI)* second quarter report indicates that within the Personal Computers category, customers perceived Apple as the best company in terms of customer service. Apple’s baseline score was 77 (on a 100-point scale), and the Q2 2006 score was 83.
Computerworld, discussing Apple’s number one ranking says, “The Company’s focus on product innovation and customer service has won it a cadre of famously loyal customers, unlike any other PC vendor. And why are Dell’s scores slipping? The article elaborates, “Survey respondents complained mostly about the quality of Dell’s customer service, not its products, Van Amburg said… customers were clearly more frustrated with Dell than they were last year, he said.”
This blog post ‘New Virus Found! The You Suck Virus,’ states, “Part of being “excellent” in business is being innovative. If you agree with that one criteria (I know there are more) then Apple is the clear winner when it comes to innovation. Companies like Dell, HP, and IBM make good computers but once you compare them to a really excellent product (like an Apple) it is easy to see the difference.”
This 2003 article indicates that Apple is pretty consistent when it comes to high-quality customer service, “Apple did garnish the number one customer service ranking in the 2001 Consumer Reports Annual Questionnaire, and a number one ranking for desktop repairs in May 2003.” Here are some customer compliments for Apple.
2. GE – Black Belts in Customer Service
In the major appliances category, the ASCI survey has named the General Electric company no. 1 with a baseline score of 81 and a Q2 2006 score was 82. Among other things, a company blog is a very good way for organizations to keep in touch with their customers, and GE is one of the few corporates that has its own blogs:
http://www.grcblog.com/
http://www.bloggingnext.com/
http://www.edisonsdesk.com
http://www.fromedisonsdesk.com
Another proactive measure adopted by GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt that promotes goodwill and customer satisfaction is the program wherein the GE Six Sigma black belts / management experts assist their internal customers in streamlining processes, cutting costs and increasing profit margins – all free of cost. Steven Pearlstein, in his article, ‘GE’s Wealth of Free Advice,’ illustrates the process.
“Another happy customer is Stephen Carter, president of the American subsidiary of Komori, a Japanese maker of printing presses… GE’s Six Sigma "black belts" saw that most of the orders that took longer involved items that were out of stock. After analyzing more than a decade of parts orders, they found a way of ensuring that the most-sought items, or those with long lead times, were never out of stock, while reducing inventory for slow-moving and less hard-to-replace components. The result: 95 percent of orders now go out on time.” With this kind of commitment to improving the customer’s experience, it is small wonder that GE tops the popularity list for consumer durables.
3. TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION - the company to emulate in the automobile industry
Within the automobiles section, Toyota is the leader with a baseline score of 79, and a Q2 2006 score of 87. In her article “Ready to Roll,” Katheryn Potterf says, “No wonder Toyota Motor Corporation is the envy of other manufacturers. The quality and reliability of its vehicles are the gold standard of the industry. Customer loyalty is so high that Toyota can make money without offering extreme discounts.”
And, according to Potterf, its not Toyota’s products or profits that are the jewel in its crown (pay attention, all you companies that think good products will make up for poor customer service). “Rather, it is something less tangible but more essential. Called the Toyota Way, it is the foundation of the Toyota Production System, or Lean manufacturing techniques. In the largest sense, it is a mindset or management philosophy… Being customer-centric is part of the Toyota Way, which is based on "pure logic and pure respect…”
4. GOOGLE – Dynamism and Consistency are Key
Search engines Q2 2006 score of 81. The google experience is a classic example of a company committed to wowing its customers based on consistent quality and constant innovation over the years.
2003: “Google Inc., of Mountainview, Calif., continued to lead the category with a score of 82, a 2.5% improvement from last year. It has introduced new features, including an image search where users can hunt for photographs. The site commands about 30% of all Web searches, according to ComScore Networks.”
2004: In her article, ‘Google Tops in Customer Satisfaction,’ Jennifer Laycock says, “Google, the current king of search, topped the list of search engines with a satisfaction rating of 82 points.”
2005: “Every year, if we do the same as we did last year, consumers are going to see us as not fulfilling their needs.”
2006: Google continues to retain the leadership position in the search engine category, with a Q2 2006 ASCI score of 81.
5. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. – Happy Employees = Happy Customers
Within the airlines industry, Southwest Airlines had a baseline ASCI score of 78. Innovations such as Ding!, along with a passion for customer service is what keeps southwest ahead of the competition. In ‘Customer Satisfaction and Willingness to Pay,’ Kelly Shermach says, “Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) recently introduced DING!, a free program that sends audible electronic notices to a consumer’s desktop. Today’s dinged fares typically undercut Southwest’s published fares.”
Also, the company remembers the very basic yet very vital rule of customer delight: happy employees = happy customers. “While 90% of its employees are unionized, labor relations have been remarkably positive, especially by industry standards. There are no formal structures for labor or union participation in management decision making, but the company – led by
top managers who actively solicit and respond to employee views – has taken the lead on developing and maintaining this culture.”
6. COX COMMUNICATIONS INC. – Scope to perform better
Cox Communications is a king when it comes to customer satisfaction – it ranked first in customer satisfaction in the fixed line telephone service provider category. It reflected customer satisfaction in areas such as customer service, billing, performance and reliability, company image and cost of service. However, the Q1 2006 ASCI score of 76 is well below the average score for other industries. And with options such as VoIP and mobile phones now available to customers, the paying attention to customer service has become more important than ever. Wake up, fixed line telephone companies!
7. HILTON HOTELS CORPORATION – Laboratory Studies for Improved Customer Service
Innovation combined with a desire to better the customer’s experience is apparent in Hilton’s programs like the Hilton Technology Room, which is basically a laboratory for gathering customer feedback on new and emerging technologies. “"In its current iteration, the Hilton Technology Room blends high-tech features into a luxurious guestroom setting, enabling us to gain insight into how guests interact with the technology and which pieces would be appropriate for full-scale deployment to our hotels." In With an ASCI baseline score of 75, the hotels segment too could do with improvement!
8. PAPA JOHN’S INTERNATIONAL, INC. – Pizza with pizzazz
With a Q1 2006 score of 79, Papa John’s leaves behind larger pizza rivals Pizza Hut and Domino’s, and also Starbucks, in the limited service restaurants category.
“"We have a fundamental belief that if you serve a superior quality pizza with excellent service and value, consumers will recognize the difference and reward you with repeat business," said John H. Schnatter, Papa John’s founder and executive chairman.”
9. THE DIRECTV GROUP, INC. – Can do better!
“As of June 2006, DirecTV has 15.4 million subscribers, more than any other in the satellite industry, having subscribed their 15 millionth customer in November 2005.” Though direcTV is ranked no. 1 in the cable and satellite TV category, the ASCI Q1 score of 71 indicates that customers are far from happy with the overall standard of service in this industry.
10. SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA, INC.
“Samsung Electronics, one of the world’s largest producers of mobile handsets renowned for cutting edge mobile technology,”
With an ASCI Q1 2006 score of 73, Samsung is the number one cellular phone company in the industry. Again, 73 means that there is lots of room for improvement!
And here are the 10 worst…
1. AOL – Playing Dirty, Tricking Customers?
An overwhelming majority of netizens have had bad experiences with AOL – especially while closing their accounts. Listen to Vincent Ferrari’s conversation with AOL CSR John here.
About Ferrari’s experience, blogger Rich Brooks says: “After 15 minutes he finally got through to a human being. The call resulted in something that’s a cross between Dante’s 9th ring of hell and Orwell’s 1984. The king from Monty Python’s Holy Grail had an easier time explaining to the palace guards to keep his son locked in his room than Ferrari had explaining that he just wanted to cancel the account.”
Dan Spencer says, “I will never forget when I called to cancel my family’s account with AOL after my dad passed away very suddenly. This was about six months after the death. AOL said because the account was in his name they needed to talk to him to cancel it. We explained how difficult that may be considering the circumstance and they then had the nerve to tell my family they will not cancel it with out proper identification of the death such as a death certificate. They then even said that they billed my father for the six months each month. We had moved and never recieved these so we told them if they get the money from him to call us ASAP so we can witness a miracle. Even with all the information concerning the security provided with them they refused to cancel it.”
When a company believes it can retain customers by antagonizing them, something is very wrong with their customer service policy. Also, AOL is not above tricking customers into buying stuff online that they were only browsing.
2. BEST BUY – Worst customer service?
Though it faced serious competition from Wal-Mart, Best Buy beat its competitors to bag the position for worst customer service in the retail sector. Bill says, “Best Buy and AOL seem to share that short-term thinking, screw the customer, anti-social mindset.”
A whole lot of customers are unhappy with the company, mainly because of the customer service policies. When your insistence for selling protection plans drives away customers, you need to rethink your policies, buddy!
And what’s with all the sour faces, guys? Do they treat you so bad at best buy? Read this customer’s experience with Sour Face Jim and Handshake John at Best Buy.
3. LASTMINUTE.COM – Customer who?
In the online service provider category, the winner undoubtedly is lastminute.com. This company has been featured on watchdog for fraudulent practices, yet continues to survive and harass customers who are not aware of its history. Tom Wright says, “A series of phone calls and broken promises later - lastminute finally agreed that they had made a mistake by not sending through the booking - and offered to refund me……….HALF the purchase price!!”
Dave had a similar experience with the company, that he has described on his blog. Another customer, Claire says, “If you have a problem no one listens, they honestly do not care and have no idea what customer service means. The so called manager of this company laughed at me with my complaint and when I I asked for his company address to write a complaint he answered I don’t need to give you that!!? and refused to do so.”
4. HOME DEPOT – Who cares about your home? Not us!
Lowes, though having its fair share of disgruntled customers, is not the topper for bad customer service – it is beaten by Home Depot. When this customer wanted to complain to the Home Depot manager about a rude employee, the manager seemed to be worse! “After 10 or so minutes I asked where the manager was, the person behind the desk called again. At that time the so called manager Anthony called back, did not bother to come to the service desk just called and said, "What does the customer want".”
This Business Week article elaborates “The University of Michigan’s annual American Customer Satisfaction index shows Home Depot slipped to dead last among major U.S. retailers, 11 points behind Lowe’s.”
Americans ranked Home Depot’s customer service as dead last, according to Steven Silvers. Home depot customers complain about the worst service they received from the company.
5. AT&T – The Next Dinosaur?
In the article entitled ‘Should you remain an AT&T customer?’ Liz P Weston states, “It’s not as if AT&T horror stories are anything new. Those old enough to remember Lily Tomlin’s Ernestine the Operator can recite her mantra: “We don’t care. We don’t have to. We’re the phone company!” With that attitude the company may soon become the “ex” phone company! Weston observes, “Of the six largest cell-phone carriers, AT&T Wireless generated the most complaints overall and the most complaints per subscriber last year, according to FCC records obtained by Consumers Union.”
6. SBC - $200 to cancel the service!!!
Cliff Edwards writes about his experience with SBC customer service, “Another eight days later, still no faster speed. In fact, the upstream speed appeared to have slowed down! I called customer service again, but was told the speed had been upgraded. My testing through dslreports.com told me otherwise. The new suggestion: Wait a few days more, then call back.”
In “Stay away from SBC DSL !!” A Anand says, “My basic complaint is that AT&T Yahoo charged me 350 dollars unfairly. They also have a very unfriendly attitude, stay away from them!”
7. DAY’S INN– We’re racists AND We break promises
While this customer was told to “go back to China,” Stan Dulkiewicz of Rochester was denied the one night free stay that he was entitled to.
8. ALBERTSON’S – No value for customer privacy
"Albertsons’ pharmacy customers receive direct mail and phone solicitations derived from confidential customer medical information provided to the pharmacy solely to fill prescriptions. The solicitations look like they are from the patient’s concerned local pharmacist and remind the customer to renew a prescription or consider an alternative medication. But they are actually generated for pharmaceutical company’s sales purposes by a specially-designed marketing database, sold by Albertsons."
9. MCIMETRO ACCESS (Formerly known as MCI Communications) – Billing for eternity … the company violated state service quality rules 850 times, including failing to:
• Inform customers when the new service will be provided
• Investigate customer complaints promptly
• Repair service interruptions within 48 hours
The most frequent violation by the company involved the continued billing of customers who had cancelled the phone service. Here are some MCI customer complaints.
10. CIRCUIT CITY – We have your money – now get lost!
One example of the many disgruntled Circuit City customers – Though it was acknowledged that the laptop purchased by Matt Southerton was defective and no other pieces were in stock, the customer service rep refusing to refund his money.
And if you’re thinking about purchasing their extended warranties, stop for a moment and read about John Alexander’s interactions with the company when he tried to (and deserved to) get his TV replaced.
Linda Meister has wasted money on extended warranties that are not worth the paper they are printed on. According to Consumer Affairs, “Circuit City pushes a lot of electronics out the door — and they’re also pretty good at loading up the customer with extended warranties and other add-ons, many of which turn out to be a big disappointment if they’re ever needed.”
* The University of Michigan compiles the ACSI in numerous product categories by randomly calling U.S. residents and surveying their buying habits.
The original source of this article is InsideCRM.com , part of the Focus network of sites.
119 Comments
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How dose Comcast not make the worst list?
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Flag FlaggedI am a new customer with AT&T and have been pleasantly surprised. by the excellent customer service. I had only had my account for 3 days and they made an exception so I could get World Plan to make international calls more cheaply. Normally, you have to wait 90 days before being eligible.Maybe AT&T has been reading all the complaints!
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Flag FlaggedOr Blizzard entertainment for that matter....
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Flag FlaggedI've always been happy with the support at Red Hat. Also agree with Apple and Google on the list.
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Flag FlaggedThe fact that Bally's Fitness isn't on here as the worst is a tragedy.
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Flag Flagged@Anon: How does cablevision not make this list?
@Steve H: It's a trick when they tell you that it takes 90 days. Wait until you have a serious issue and see what happens.
Im surprised T-Mobile didnt make the Best of list. Their customer service is some of the best I have ever had.
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Flag FlaggedComcast. Switched to AT&T cause Comcast sucked so bad and it was my only other choice. AT&T isn't bad they just need to get organized, the first time I called AT&T I was transferred at 7 or 8 times to different to the different call centers they have for different issues.
Comcast was so much worse though.
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Flag FlaggedAmazon is heading toward the worst list pretty fast. My wife recently ordered a $900 item from Amazon. It was listed as in stock. More than three weeks on, and three dispatch delays, she has just been informed that there are no units, and it is unclear when or if there will be more stock.
This is after many 30 minute calls to Amazon phone supervisors trying to sort this order out. Each supervisor claiming that it was sorted out and the package would be sent that day. The only solution offered by Amazon staff is to cancel the order so she can purchase the same item nearly four weeks later from another store.
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Flag FlaggedNeed to add Chase/JP Morgan to the worst list as well.
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Flag FlaggedYeah, I guess Circuit City would have trouble giving good customer service now that they are out of business and no longer have any stores.
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Flag FlaggedI find it interesting that Zappos did not make the "best" list since they seem to be the gold standard in customer service. Talk about a company that is solely ( pun intended ) focused on making their customers happy.
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Flag FlaggedCenturyTel is the worst I have ever ran into by far. I really don't believe SBC is in the same ballpark of bad.
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Flag FlaggedMost people I tell this to find it hard to believe, but I've had AT&T for two years, and haven't had any problems with "customer service." I don't agree with some of their business decisions, but when I've needed help, they've been quick about it. Comcast is horrible. I've got multiple horror stories and I've only used them for a year.
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Flag FlaggedDell/Alienware should have made the worst list.
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Flag Flaggedto the user who said blizzard has bad customer service. obviously you never played everquest, if u did you'd know how bad customer service can be. i bet you play a paladin or a dk anyway, so your opp. doesnt even matter
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Flag FlaggedAT&T should be the ABSOULUTE WORST ON THE LIST.
They can't even assist you with basic stuff.
They suck at customer service AND NOBODY, INCLUDING YOU CAN DO THIS!!
New list every Monday!
http://concretelyambiguous.com/category/i-bet-you-cant/
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Flag FlaggedOkay... so you're publicly accusing Days Inn of being racist based on one, self published, online user review? That's pretty darn unprofessional, not to mention libelous.
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Flag FlaggedI've had bad experiences with AT&T, but when I went to cancel my Unicel account because Unicel is being bought out by AT&T in less than a year, they charged me $200 to cancel. When I went to complain, all the guy on the other end could say was "sowwy!".
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Flag FlaggedPapa Johns are the worst! They horribly botched my order once and sent me a 'screw you' letter when i brought it up with customer service. Also, where is Sprint? Comcast?
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Flag FlaggedCircuit City went out of Business last year.
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Flag FlaggedIs this list legitimate or just your personal rant against companies that did not kiss your arse
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Flag FlaggedI can't believe DirecTV made the BEST list. My experience with them was so horrible that I swore that I'd never use them again, and tell everyone I know to avoid them at all costs.
When the dish on my roof stopped working, DirecTV told me I had to pay them to fix it. It wasn't MY equipment, it was THEIR equipment, that I was paying a monthly fee to use. How can I possibly be responsible for fixing their stuff? I was told they only fix things in the first 90 days of service, past that, I either pay them to fix it, or go on paying them my monthly fee even though I was unable to get any actual service from them. How is that customer service?
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Flag FlaggedA very us-centric list. I'd like to nominate European ISP Tiscali as the worst customer service I have ever come across. It took me a year to get a refund from them from incorrectly billing me for broadband I never had when I moved properties.
Their telephone customer service was appaling and seemed to be manned by lobotomised orangutans who I had to keep repeating my case to.
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Flag FlaggedBally's Fitness has to be on the worst list. They make it a mission to deceive their customers. My wife is a loan officer and says the biggest attacks to people's credit histories she sees comes from Bally's.
Zappos really should be on the best. What other company will take back any item, no question, pay for the return and then send you a coupon? They should be at the top, no question.
-Z
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Flag FlaggedIt's super interesting to see the trends in industries here... Cable and Phone companies, which essentially have regional monopolies, have the worst customer service because they have no reason to improve it. If you don't like your cable service, who are you going to call?
Also my nomination for worst customer service would be Verizon - Like aforementioned companies they charge a cancellation fee, transfer you 10+ times in one call, and it took me 2 nights to find a way to create a login on their website to pay a bill, only to find out that i need to call a representative to register on the PROPER site (verizon.com vs. verizon.net) to pay the damn thing.
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Flag FlaggedHow long has this list been up, I didn't see any date references after 2006. Also ATT & SBC, 1 company now. Circuit City, filed bankruptcy, online presence bought by Systemax.
Side note, this captcha window is rannoying.
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Flag FlaggedMost of the ranking are based off of 2006 numbers/findings. Its 2009 people, this list needs to be reworked, and besides like someone else has mentioned already at least 1 of these companies no longer exists.
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Flag FlaggedWeird that Verizon does not appear on the Good list. I have been a customer for a long time, and I have had problems, but I have never spoken to one CSR who wasn't exceptionally good.
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Flag FlaggedThe article sourced placing Home Depot last in customer service for major retailers is over 3 years old. I believe they have been addressing this since sacking that massive tool Nardelli who boosted profits by massively thinning the ranks of store employees.
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Flag FlaggedBradley: Cox is a cable AND phone company. ;)
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Flag FlaggedI would definately not have Papa John's in a positive list. I once placed an order the day before for a large hospital's grand rounds. The hospital was in a bad area, so they wouldn't deliver. No problem for me, so I arrive 15 min early to pick them up, they told me 15 more minutes... the 15 min passed and still nothing. Finally, 15 minutes AFTER the rounds started, they informed me that they hadn't started making my order yet, and that they were doing me 'a favor' since they weren't delivering the order.
I'd also swap Home Depot with Menard's. Tried to return a door that the jamb was incorrectly milled for the latch, and the manager acted like the cost was coming out of his own wallet.
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Flag FlaggedHow old is this data? Come on... if your going to waste everyone's time by putting something like this together... at least use recent information. Complete waste of anyones time even reading this!!! Worthless unless I want to travel back in time! Rediculous!
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Flag FlaggedNotable Worsts: Time Warner, Best Buy, Chase and should be number one worst company: DELL
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Flag FlaggedGoogle?! Try being an AdSense user...
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Flag FlaggedI think it is simply a given that telecom companies are universally evil. There has always been a monopolistic attitude and they don't need to be in the rankings at all.
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Flag FlaggedNewegg.com should have made the best customer service list. I have ordered several thousand dollars in electronics from them over the last 6 years. There are always some products that arrive defective from the manufacturer and newegg has always been very amicable and speedy about giving RMA's, and replacements.
They even so much as go and become members on several popular electronics forums and if a forum user has an issue, the service rep will personally handle it. They inspire steadfast customer loyalty through hard work.
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Flag FlaggedSchwinn Bike customer service sucks extremely bad. They are useless. I have been waiting for 2 months for my bike to be fixed and have a hard time getting them to respond.
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Flag FlaggedComcast is easily the worst customer service experiences I've personally ever dealt with. You'll be on hold for at least 15 minutes after painfully trying to navigate their automated menu. It is HORRIBLE.
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Flag FlaggedAdobe.com didn't make the cut for the worst customer service?
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Flag FlaggedSo basically, you made a list of the companies you like and dont like. In terms of Apple, you used some information that was almost 10 years old to legitimize how much you enjoy them. Sorry, but Apple's customer service has gone downhill consistently for the past couple years. I know being a computer seller.
And there is no evidence to back up any of the "bad" guys. Yes some of those companies do suck, as does their service, but back it up. Dont just give an example of something bad that happened.
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Flag FlaggedWelcome to November 2006! Thanks for reposting a 3 year old article!
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Flag Flaggedat&t? Some retread article about dolts from three years ago? Gimme a break!
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Flag FlaggedWhy is Sprint not on the 10 Worst list? They have the worst customer service.
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Flag FlaggedNobody on your "worst" list is the worst because of any research you did or actual surveys and statistics. Everyone there is the "worst" based on anecdotal evidence and a few sour customers who felt wronged by something the company did. Hardly what I would call conclusive.
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Flag FlaggedI'm a little surprised at the problems some people have had with ATT, but I guess it depends on where you are in their system. I have had DSL ever since SBC started it way back there. I even had to install the modem and software myself because it was so new to the personnel in the field that they weren't sure how to do it, but no problem, I just took the floppy they sent and hooked it up myself. I have had only 2 breaks in service with it, once for a couple of days while the company relocated the system to a bigger building, and another when code red bug was going around. I constantly get around 1200 to 1300 bps, which is plenty fast for me, since I don't game any. I also have 5 cells from ATT, and the service is mostly good. A few blank spots here and there in the coverage, but I know where they are and where they are at is rather impossible to fix because of the terrain. I guess I can consider myself lucky, huh?
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Flag FlaggedSprint should be on this list without a doubt.
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Flag FlaggedToyota rocks. I'm on my second Toyota, a 4Runner with 120K miles. My first, a RAV4, had 138K, and I only traded it in because I needed a larger car. About to get a Prius for my wife.
They are not the most sexy cars, but they provide good value, and are reliable. The real reason I will stick with Toyota is the service. My dealer has gone out their way for me a couple of times when they really did not have to. The story I always tell is this one:
I dropped off my RAV4 in for a regular service (60K miles) a bit late (~68K). They called me later in the day and said that they had completed everything, but they noticed the valves were "wearing prematurely", and wanted to replace them. The problem was they would need to order them and keep my car for a few days. I explained that my wife was out of town, and that I needed to pick up my kids, so I really needed a car. No problem, here is a loaner. I forgot to ask how much the valves would cost, I knew I was out of warranty. When I picked the car up a few days later, the bill was only for teh regular service amount. I asked the technician about the valves. Her response: "Oh, we took care of that. Those valves should not bhe wearing like that after 68K miles".
Like I said, I'll keep going back.
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Flag FlaggedWrost for me is Blizzard. No matter what kind of help you need they just quote the terms and user agreement and tell you it's your own fault!
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Flag FlaggedNewegg.com, best customer service hands down!
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Flag FlaggedAgree with others that Zappos should be on the "best" list. I placed an order around noon on a Saturday with plain old regular shipping and it showed up at my door by Monday afternoon two days later!
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Flag FlaggedThe folks defending AT&T (if they are not AT&T employees!) are in for a rude awakening. My wife and I have agreed that for out and out duplicity, AT&T has no rival. Their marketing strategy is apparently lie like hell, rope in the customer and when they fail to deliver promised service, rebates or whatever, hope the customer forgets. If you call them on it, they stall, obfuscate, and deny. ATT&T blows; and I will use two paper cups and a string before I ever give them a cent for the rest of my life.
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Flag FlaggedTo me Walmart should be on the worst list. I remember years ago going into Walmart and seeing blue vested people everywhere and constantly being asked--"can I help you." You go into a Walmart now and you can't find anyone hardly anywhere to get any help whatsoever. If you finally see someone who works there--then they have to page someone--who takes 15 minutes to finally come from where they were.
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Flag Flaggedcox has the worst customer service i've ever had to call. I've been jerked around by them every single time i've called. I have no idea how they're on there. Godaddy support is kick ass though, supprised they're not up there.
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Flag FlaggedRegarding the Days Inn comment. It is libelous only if the incident did not happen. If I were that individual I would be filing a law suit right now. What right does that person have to make a remark like that. Is that person still employed by Days Inn?.
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Flag FlaggedThis article is three years old and very poorly written to boot. I've unfollowed you on Twitter.
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Flag FlaggedI definitely do not agree that google should be on that list. It is nearly impossible to talk to anyone who works there. I got my account disabled by accident one time and it took 9 days to get it back. I spent about 2 hours each day filling out online forms and did not receive anything back except for automated responses. I probably filled out 3 forms at least 20 times each. I tried calling google headquarters and after trying to guess random peoples extension numbers I finally got through to a real live person. I told the person my story and she said that google does not offer email or phone support.
How does a company make the top 10 list in customer service by not offering email or phone support!?
needless to say I got my account back after 9 days with a sorry it took so long message. I got about 30 emails all saying the same thing. I think someone was trying to be funny.
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Flag FlaggedI wonder, having worked in call centers and worked on the spreadsheets for management, do the best have certain traits in common? For instance:
1. Are the employees expected to meet metrics? I worked for a computer company with a very bad rating where they were trying to get tech support to take 100 calls a day. One of the best companies for customer service that year was Saturn, whose only requirement was that the caller was satisfied and they took an average of 12 calls a day.
2. Outsourcing. Are the leaders consistantly using in-house customer service rather than outsourcing to India, Ireland, Costa Rica or a small town in Wyoming?
3. Do the customer service reps have the tools to do the job correctly? I have worked tech support for computers where I had to go to the local CompUSA to actually view the machines for the first 3 months of their release.
4. Are the employees happy? I noticed this was mentioned a couple of times, but I would think this would be a consistant sign of a good company. Most customer service employees really do want to help the customer, most of the time. Give them the ability to do so and treat them well and you will have nicer employees. I worked with an on-line store that brought in lunch everyday for employees, free sodas and ice cream, and occasional free items. Then they outsourced and their reputation plummeted.
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Flag FlaggedDomino's Pizza also should be on the "worst" list! They are incredibly slow delivering . . . but they'll give you a discount the "next time" if you complain. What took the prize was when I ordered a sandwich "plain". When it arrive, it had onions on it [not good with acid reflux]. I called and was told "you didn't say no vegetables". I asked to speak to the manager and was told "the manager's not here". I wne to their website and complained. No email or phone reply whatsoever. Sometimes when companies get too large it brings their downfall!
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Flag FlaggedNewegg.com, without question is #1 Best in Customer Service and I'm shocked it wasn't on your list of the top 10 Best.
Hands down, Newegg excels over most, if not all, of the companies that did make your 10 Best list! They go miles above for their customers!
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Flag FlaggedYou forgot to add every large bank on the planet. They are going to be the downfall of the human race!!!
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Flag FlaggedI can promise you that any Direct TV customers are either stupid or locked in a contract. The equipment that provide is horrible and the signal quality just barely passes. I paid $400.00 to cancel a contract that was extended because they had to replace several faulty DVR's. This company is the worst by far.
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Flag FlaggedCC SUCKS when it comes to customer service...
Best Buy is pretty good IMO
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Flag FlaggedComcast has shitty products but good Customer Service.
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Flag FlaggedI can easily believe microsfoft did not make the list... Having read that if you make a bad report on microsoft, the 'goodie' fountain (trips, lunches, drinks, comps, and things not mentioned in open forums, is immediately cut off.
I have had years of experience (not one positive) dealing with Redmond's wall of indifference. From reps having no idea that there were problems with software (and obviously reading from a script) to the old 'that is not a problem but, an enhancement to my having to describe to senior techs the solution (which was not patched for 3 years, and then having them try to charge me for the 'service'...
I have found I no longer have these problems....
Linux and NOTHING from microweenie... solved most of them.
Agreed, I still have problems, and there still are problems...
The Linux community only takes a short time to put patches out (some, don't use them... but that is not a Linux problem - That is a 'user friendly' carryover from thinking too much like 'you know whom'...
With all the bad experience from the dark ages, I can generally fix difficulties, myself, anyway.
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Flag FlaggedI got surprisingly good customer service a few weeks ago. I was having problems with my cable tv, The signal was breaking up, but only on the sports channel I was watching. I posted a twitter bitching about missing the Sox game. Moments later I got a response, over twitter from a comcast cable rep who's job it was to monitor twitter and respond to problems. Using twitter the rep and i reset the cable box and I was able to watch the rest of the game without problems.
Since then I have suggested using the #comcast tag when they have problems with the company. Calling the 1-800 number always means a long wait fighting through the self help menu. While using twitter, the company contacts me.
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Flag FlaggedHow the Hell is Apple at the top of the list???? inovative my arse they haven't made anything to help tech grow if anything they are helping us go backwards with lowest bidder parts to build their products. then charge an insane amount.
I'm sorry but i can buy non apple products at half the cost that are way worth more and better price/performace ratio.
Whoever wrote that article must be doing some apple blow.
I wish Steve Jobs would hurry up and get eatin by that Cancer so the world would be a better place!!!
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Flag FlaggedHUGHES NET has the worst customer service. The system never worked properly, and they wouldn't send anyone out to check it. Then when the warranty expired, they offered to send a repair person for $125.00.
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Flag FlaggedC'MON!! DHell easily deserves a spot in the 10 worst. EVERY SINGLE TIME I Call DHell for something.....ANYTHING......it's like pulling teeth. I have never seen a company treat its customers as bad as DHell does. BTW, the products are $h*t, too.
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Flag FlaggedFull disclosure. I work for one of the companies on the bad side of the list. Please know that not everyone at these call centers are clueless. Many are clueless, and there is no excuse. But to brand an entire company, who really and honestly are trying to make things better. When you get a good rep, and I know many people do, let a manager know. Kudos calls are far more effective than complaints, especially with union jobs. Complaints will not get a union employee canned. Ain't gonna happen. But the good guys are recognized.
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Flag FlaggedI can't argue with the nomination to get Comcast up there, but I would argue that Charter dwarfs them in horrible customer service. It's done nothing but get worse over the past 5 years, especially since their Chap 11 filing. Worst company ever = Charter. I hate you Charter.
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Flag FlaggedDHL, they lose your package and can only offer a sorry, they essentially stole $15000 from my company and refused to help at all..
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Flag FlaggedAdd Zappos to the 'best' list please. I won't into details, but they were incredible when I called their customer service... I couldn't be happier with how the dealt with my issues. Kudos to them.
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Flag FlaggedMagic Jack definately has the most useless customer service, and (LACK OF) warranty. It stops dialing from attached phone after 30 days.
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Flag FlaggedDon't forget United Airlines.
They used to treat us like kings, now - even with half a million ff miles - I have to pay $40 bucks extra for a window or aisle seat and the first checked bag is $20.
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Flag FlaggedGE has been "dealing" with iran, against sanctions, and with obama's consent, and is also subverting OUR US political system with their ill-gotten gains.
The GE CEO is an outlaw in my opinion and GE should be boycotted by any citizen of the US that doesn't want to be "socialized"!
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Flag FlaggedThis is the first of these lists i've seen in years that didn't have Comcast somewhere in the top three "worst" spots, so i call BS. They definitely have not improved.
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Flag FlaggedNEXTEL, now part of Sprint is absolutely the worst... Nothing can compare to being online for an hour, be assured that the problem was solved, then deal with it again the next month and month after that. What is really great is working up the street from the call center, and when walking in, being told that they are not set up to help walk ins and I need to go back to the office and call. Don't get me started on how bad my service has been since Sprint took over.
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Flag FlaggedI've gotten horrible, horrible service from both Southwest and Cox. The "worst" list is dead-on concerning Home Depot and AT&T
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Flag FlaggedThis must be an old list as AT&T is listed at #5 for worst and SBC at #6, since they've been the SAME COMPANY for the last 2-3 years now!
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Flag FlaggedI don't care if ATT an SBC are one company now. They are just twice as bad. When i called cancelled due to coverage issues, they then said they could make it better. Why not when i actually was using them. Also penalized for upgrading my hardware, eventhough i had used them for 8 years. "Sorry you signed a new contract and you are cancelling prior to the two years" to a sum of $375.00. OUCH!
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Flag FlaggedHmm, Circuit City??? Newsflash, they have been out of business for 6 months. Why include them on this list. Who was number 11???
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Flag FlaggedI Agree with everyone that has a complain against TCF. It is by far the worst, pathetic bank ever. I worked at TCF Bank for over three years and was a supervisor for over two years.
In simple words at first I would tell you the reason for poor banking experience of the customers that bank there. TCF which stands for "the customer first" has nothing to do with customers. As a matter of fact they are the last. TCF is all about sales. As other employees of the bank mentioned about the horrible sales goals that they give to their employees, the problem is not the goals, the problem is the termination that follows if you dont meet the goals. Most people that get a job at tcf are the usually young aged people that have no experience in the banking field. They take a while to get trained, but before they can be fully trained they get fired to either not meeting their sales goals, or the manager not liking them, or violating some stupid policy.
As for the exceptions, most of the time TCF will refuse the large transactions just because the supervisor/manager on the shift does not want to deal with dealing with large transactions. Managers NEVER and i mean it Never follow the same policy for all their customers. Most of the time their denials are based on how they feel about a particular customer. If they dont like you they will find a reason to refuse whatever it is that you have requested. If they do like you they will make all the exceptions. As for a supervisor/manager's ability to make an exception, they can basically get anything approved that they want other than fee waivers.
The ridicules terminations at the bank leaves the management having to retrain new staff every few months and that results in uninformed tellers and poor customer service.
If any one wants to challenge this, try going to a few different TCF and ask the same questions, something that requires managers/supervisors involvement. You will get a different answer from every branch you visit. This is purely because of lack of knowledge of the bank's policy to begin with.
TCF terminates any employee that they basically feel like, the persons making these decisions are managers/supervisors/Regional managers/HR dept. There a hundereds of policies at the bank and from time to time they get violated in error. If they dont want you they will get rid of you.
I have seen people get terminated from TCF for the most absurd reasons. There are times when people have been terminated without reasons. When the emplyee questioned at the time of termination for the reason they were directed to the HR dept. HR dept refused to give any information because they called it an internal bank affair. The only thing that was told to that employee was that it was a policy violation. This is the reason for poor service.
As for the fees, yes the customer does have responsibility to manager their account properly, except everyone makes a mistake here and there, and when they do TCF takes full advantage of it. They show to mercy. If someone used their debit card to purchase four items and a check was presented for payment, TCF will pay the biggest amount first, overdraw the account and then charge fees on all the smaller transactions even if the small charges were done before the big transaction. Customers are told that its just the way things posted on the account.
They recently started a new scam, this is the latest. If you have been banking with TCF for a while, they will make your checks available for use right away. If you ask the teller at the time of a deposit if the money is available to use, they will reply yes. But when you do use the money they will hit you with lots of fees which they call "unavailable funds fee" even though they tell you that the money is available. If you ask they will even print it on the paper. Except after you are hit with the fee the matter doesnt go anywhere. When you call the customer service to complain, they waive one fee and make you happy.
The bank employees are pressured so much to get sales that if you ever go into a bank to do some kind of maintenence on your account, like ordering checks on changing your adress on the account, it will never get done until you repeatedly go back.
TCF is exteremly cheap. They do not hire personal bankers to open accounts or bring in sales. They do not have a seperate line for business account holders (so basically if you are a business owner that brings in a lot of cash, you would have to bring it in and hand it to the teller with zero privacy). They usually have one teller and a manager working on a shift. If they have more people scheduled they must go in jewel stores to get accounts.
There is no set way of resolving customer issues at the branch level. regionals usually ignore customer issues. And if the complaint is filed through customer service it is directed to the Branch, which then could be simply be deleted by any person of management.
They are also very sloppy. Most of the time if you present a request that require filling paperwork, its usually just sits around on the teller line or in the office where anyone could easily grab it. This could be seen when you visit the branches, there are all sorts of papers laying around. Usually those papers have customer socials, acount numbers and such.
TCF cares about nothing but new accounts opened. They dont care about the Customers and dont care about the employees, atleast the ones that cant fool people into opening account several times during a given shift.
They constantly loose deposits because the back end of TCF is just as sloppy as the retail side. Customers issues and requests usally are passed around from one person of management to another and ends up getting lost, most of the time. They literally lie about policies to customers if they are unsure.
Any TCF employee can search and get details on anyones account as long as they have an account with TCF. Information such as ssn, DL #, D.O.B and such are available to all bank staff regardless of customers presence.
TCF employees constantly fool existing customer into changing from one account to another because they are given credit toward their sales for that. They will literally take you out of a good account and put you in a type of account that doesnt suit your needs just so they can get their credit.
There are some few TCF locations with very good management staff and experienced tellers where all this doesnt happen, or doesnt happen as often rather but these good locations only account for less than 5% of TCF.
I can write pages more of how bad the bank operates, but people always come to TCF because of its free checking promotions and incentives that are usually given out of acount openeing. Otherwise the employees have to figure out a way if they want to keep their jobs.
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Flag FlaggedHP should go on the Worst Cust Service List. You call up North America you get like some person from the Phillipines. When you ask for the manager they refuse. Calling their support line is a waste of time.
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Flag FlaggedThis must be based on how the customer perceives a company. B/C I can tell you Papa John's has to be the worst company ever. Sure they care about your food and care about your service. But has no concern for their employees. And has double standards across the board. And very bad management within their system. I don't see how a company like this can exist. I'm a shift manager with 4 years experience and feel more likely that I will get fired that ever promoted. Now how can that be a great company?
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Flag FlaggedI swear this is true. One time I went to Home Depot looking for Velcro. I asked an employee if he knew where the Velcro. I assumed Velcro was a common enough item. The employee proceeded to just stare at me. I asked again. He then said, "What is that?" I was kinda at a loss of words, and then tried to explain its that micro-fabric mesh stuff with little hooks that sticks together and can be pulled apart. anyhow, he just shrugged his shoulders and told me he didn't know what it was and couldn't help me. I then walked two aisles over and asked another employee who answered my question right away and walked me to where it was located.
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Flag Flaggedhow could u leave MICHAELS store in chinohills where customers like me (a cancer survivor)wearing a scarf considered ALIENS.had very humiliating experience by the manager of the store.
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Flag FlaggedPLZ make sure u change the color of ur skin to white and follow their dress code before u enter this store.
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Flag FlaggedThis list is kind of suprising and I don't think that much time was spent on it. I have had terrible experiences at Wal-Mart as far customer service goes. Suprisingly, I get the most help at Best Buy! And while they do sell their extended warranties, after the person explained the benefits and I declined, they finished the sale without any pressure...
Now one company I absolutely despise is Comcast! I have been ripped off from them on two different occassions. I was charged for Internet Installation (around $50 if I remember correctly) when I move from my Apartment to my new Home and according to the lady of the phone that was for them to connect it to my computer.... One problem, my computer wasn't even in the house when they came in and fiddled outside for 5 minutes!
I made the switch to DirectTV and have been quite happy with their service and customer service. My only regret is not being able to cancel my high speed internet with Comcast, just waiting for FIOS to come into my area. When I cancelled cable service with them, they conviently throttled down my internet connection. When I called and complained they refused to do anything about it and wanted to charge me more money to get a higher speed.
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Flag FlaggedYou could blame these companies. Or you could deal with the real problem. The lack of proper controls and regulation that make it very difficult to do anything about it. Until we get tighter control of these corporations which penalise poor practise then many of these companies will refuse to be shaken by making lists such as this one. The reality for many of the companies on this list is that they have a virtually captive market in some cases and in other are big enough that they can simply compete successfully on price without consideration of the benefits that good customer service bring to the balance sheet.
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Flag FlaggedHANDS DOWN...BEST BUY BEATS EVERYONE AS BEING THE WORSE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH.
I HAD TO WAIT ON THE PHONE FOR ALMOST 1 HOUR TO CANCEL AND AM STILL WAITING WHILE I AM WRITING THIS, AND THIS WAS NOT EVEN MY FAULT, THE SALES PERSON COULDN'T GET THROUGH THEIR SYSTEM TO CANCEL THIS ORDER AND SO ASKED ME TO DO IT FROM HOME.
WELL NOW ITS 1 HR AND 5 MIN WILL UPDATE LATER ON THE FINAL TIME TAKEN TO REACH A PERSON
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Flag FlaggedHad the "privilege" to deal with lastminute customer services. I spent more than an hour and a half over the phone being in hold most of the time. Very rude people on the line since the beginning. At first, they hang up without me even saying anything. Had to call again and go through all the recorded message. When I did get someone she didn't understand the reason of my call, which is not surprising since she kept interrupting me in the middle of the sentence and leaving me on hold (always to speak to their manager) to come back with an answer that had nothing to do with my query. And left with: we'll email you a link where you can sort it out what you want. Wrong. Called again and same type of issues with a different person. At the end I had enough and I wanted a refund of my money because in my opinion the information in their webpage about the service I wanted wasn't accurate enough and confusing. The manager himself made me read aloud over the phone to him the terms and conditions and the description of the service I had bought to prove his point that what it says in their webpage is quite clear and therefore I had no right to request a refund. I've never been patronized like that by a customer service!!! To finish the issue he said he will try to ask for my money being returned to me although I didn't have the right but I had to wait and I was left again on hold. After 10 more minutes answers back and says again that he has done the forms with my request (again to another manager-how many managers and managers of the managers do they have?) but he didn't know anyway if my request would be accepted and someone would contact me in the future to let me know. Why did he leave me on hold if he wasn't going to know the answer anyway???? You can't help but think that they're trying to take as much money as they can with their phone calls. Of course I spent far more money in the customer service call than in the product I bought. Still don't know if I'm having my money back... Never ever again I will get anything from them.
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Flag Flaggedshut fack up
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Flag FlaggedCharter Communications should be made the #1 WORST service company in the world. Not only are they overpriced, but their customer service SUCKS.
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Flag FlaggedWhen I watch shows on television where the person speaks English with a very bad accent, they use subtitles because they KNOW we can't understand them. It's not racist, it's about communication. COMCAST uses a lot of non-native English speakers for service and I have yet to talk to one that I didn't have to ask they to repeat what they said at least three times, and then they didn't understand what I was saying anyway. Try asking one about the LED lights that show numbers on the box, argh....
I could not pay my bill online because it took me all the way to the end and said 'could not be processed'. I had a guy send me an HD box, then after several hours with non-native English speakers I found out the box wasn't even HD, and was told they can't send HD boxes through the mail, that I'd have to go to the local branch. Then WHY did they say they could and WHY did they send a box? After I connected the box and went through the setup, I get a huge bill including a charge for installation, which I did myself.
With the economy so bad, there have to be more technically and linguistically qualified people in THIS country that need work and could do a better job. If Comcast's customer reps can't answer the questions though, perhaps it's because their own bosses have no idea what the answers are.
I am not someone who gets angry easily. I love foreign languages and can understand most people who at least attempt English. For me to be so unhappy with a place like Comcast is very unusual, and I have to assume that many, many others with less patience are far angrier than I am.
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Flag FlaggedOh where do I begin...Sprint...I misplaced my phone. First thing I asked when I called was is there such a thing as a temporary suspension until I could confirm the phone was actually missing. May sound silly but it's not my line of business so what the heck. Was advised phone would be temporarily suspended and when I called back approximately 12 hours later I was advised there was no such thing and I would need to wait to receive their "used" replacement phone and must send my relatively new phone back. Used phone did not work appropriately. I paid $200 to get rid of the affiliation with Sprint.
Home Depot . . . returned paint that I purchased as I miscalculated how many gallons I would need. With my original purchase receipt in hand, the representatives AND management claimed they had no proof I had purchased the paint from them. Thankfully my brother -- whose vision was much better than mine -- noticed some very small numbers on the outside of the container that matched the numbers on my receipt. It took 20 minutes of me requesting the manager and the manager's manager for this to get resolved and I did not get apology one for pretty much being told I was trying to put one over on them by returning paint to them that I had not purchased from them.
AT&T...I signed up for internet service. It took 22 days to be able to get internet service. I was continuously advised the problem was in their office -- yet it could never be corrected in a timely manner. Their timeframes for resolution are a joke. I figure in dealing with them to at least double if not triple the amount of time they say it will take to resolve the issue. I was finally told the problem is in the lines and they would send a technician out. I cancelled one of 3 doctor appointments in order to give them the block of time they required 4pm - 8pm only to be called and advised the technician would not make it out...it was 6:45pm. I was advised they would be out the next day between 4pm and 8pm. Thankfully I had a vacation day so could wait. I never thought they would never show up and no phone call to explain...I called to find out what happened only to be advised the technician rescheduled my appointment to the following day because it had gotten late--they must have assumed I have no life and nothing but time for them to show up whenever they please and without notice. I was advised to appease me they would reschedule me for day 3 4pm - 8pm and if they had to come into my home to check lines, etc it would be at their cost, not mine. I told them after two wasted blocks of time I REFUSED to deal with them 4pm to 8pm and insisted a morning appointment. I requested their exec offices address and phone number, advised I had names and times and phone numbers of all parties I had talked to from day one to day 21 and was ready to roll the info up to the parties that be...The technician showed up the next day 8:30 am and day 22 my internet was on. No problem (crossing my fingers) since!
In regards to the level of service being related to how the company treats it employees, I certainly agree. I work in a customer service environment and the corporation is not pleasant to work for at all. I think it is only because I believe "do unto others..." that does not permit me to treat my customers the way my employer (immediate management) treats me. It is a rare occasion when I see my fellow co-workers even crack a smile. In a day and age where customer service is EVERYTHING, it's amazing that companies have not caught on to the fact that if you make your associates happy, they will make the customers happy.
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Flag FlaggedDELL 's rip off credit scams and overcharging for things like surge plugs should have been #1
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Flag FlaggedHughesNet satellite Internet service. Their customer service rep lied to me about a $50 rebate for signing up immediately, and I never got it. I was stuck in a hellish loop when I tried to get someone to be accountable. Finally called the corporate headquarters, and was told they would have to call me back. They had someone more important to deal with right then. It was a nightmare, and I never got the money. Additionally, their customer service people located somewhere overseas are morons. I know more about the system than they do. Not a good experience!
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Flag FlaggedAnyone living in NC should know Time Warner Cable has the worst customer service!!!
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Flag FlaggedToshiba should be on the worst customer service list. I just bought a computer and wanted to register it. The rep who is suppose to be a supervisor was rude to me and told me to return the computer if I did not like the customer service. Please note that while I was irritated there was no yelling or cursing on my end. Other reports show its customer service to be bad. In my experience it is worse than At&T which is not saying much.
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Flag FlaggedI can not believe Ford did not make it to the worst list. I have owned nothing but Ford's for the last 27 years and I will not be buying another one.
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Flag Flaggedi am an AT&T customer, i had nothing but excellente customer service from them. I think they have made alot of progress and their customer service has improved.
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Flag FlaggedI had a Target customer service person hang up on me TWICE!!!!!
How are they not on the list?
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Flag FlaggedAND let's not forget RadioShack and their crappy service and overpriced products.
I do strongly agree about ATT and that Comcast should be on that list too.
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Flag FlaggedCircuit City still has stores in the midwest.
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Flag FlaggedAT&T has the worst customer service in history. They can't get simple things right. If you call to make an appointment with a service technician, forget about it. They just don't get it right, ever. And no one seems to give a damn.
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Flag FlaggedWhoever made the list of worst customer service, obviously never tried Cebupacificair's. You can spend hours waiting for them to take your call, than several more while they are processing - if they don't hang up on you. And the result is: no result. Not to mention their money payback system, which is a one-way street...
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Flag Flaggedcomcast in CRAPPY! they make u pay ur first bill wth installation..I cut them the check to recieve a bill for my first month... had to call them and have them credit my acct...when our internet was installed... same deal... I wrote the ehck for $78 for installation and first bill for internet... check cleared... but we got ANOTHER bill for internet.. the CSR was Horrible and rude and didnt want to credit us the whole amt. I called back the next day and got myfull amt credited. we later decieded to have cable installed in our upstairs bedroom..they charged us $50 just for that!and that 8-10 window for installayion was crap because the guys didnt show up until almost 6pm! and left huge holes from drilling and didnt even try to hide the wires! when we moved I went to At&t and my only issue with them was that they mailed an old brochure with my modem showing a phone line filter being included in my kit. and when I called to question them about it she informed me they dont include them ne more.. but i could purchase them at 19.99 and 4.95 shipping..i went to walmart and got one for $5 ...
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Flag Flaggedyou want service and a friendly ear , call San Diego garage door
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Flag Flaggedhttp://www.sandiego-garagedoor.com
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Flag FlaggedI pulled up this site because I need to change phone services.
AT&T is NOT helpful-- I expanded their coverage a couple of years of ago. But at that time they were downsizing union employees.
Recently my phone was in conference mode and I called to inquire why (if someone had inadvertently tapped into my line. Seven transfers later, no one knew -- a transfer to tech landed me sales, where the guy would not stop talking. He had no knowledge and was accusatory. I asked for a supervisor and was told 'no.' Finally he tried to effect that -- I gave up 45 minutes later.
AT&T used to pull a person who was trained in many fascets -- now, it is a chorus line of I do not know and don't care, get off the line and don't bother.
None of the operators, "assistants" were polite, much less friendly.
*****
Why can't phone companies have a number for "customer assistance" CAH -- whatever those digits are. Manned with people who actually like to problem solve and can give quasi technical advice -- like, 'is there a button on your unit which may inadvertently go to conference?"
AT&T has the WORST service because we HAVE TO call them.
Home Depot just sticks the phones in the manure.
And lose the robots ---
When does anyone want to talk to a robot?
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Flag Flaggedi have heard some locksmith in Costa Mesa complain about them too.
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Flag FlaggedDollar Rent A Car (complaint) – Daylight Robbery
Just to make it clear, we made our car rental reservation through a third party company called Booking Group (known as bookinggroup.com or economybookings.com). When troubles started Dollar blamed everything on the third party company. I'm not buying it…
Dollar robbed us 3 times:
1. According to the voucher we were holding the balance was EUR 127: "€ 127.03 is payable to Dollar on your arrival".
(Approximately $190 at that time)
Dollar charged us $250.
After an 11 hours flight it was not easy to argue...what could we do?
Dollar response: "Our records indicate your reservation was booked as $250 in our system for the rental charges, which is what you were charged. Since the Euro amount was quoted to you by the third party company, and they booked the reservation in our system as $250, we must ask you pursue this matter further with the third party."
2. According to the voucher the drop-off location was Manhattan (no fee mentioned):
"Drop-off location: USA New York, Manhattan, Manhattan Downtown"
Dollar charged us with an extra $50, which was a Drop-off fee for returning the car to a different location than the original.
Dollar response: "Since our records indicate this vehicle was reserved with Dollar to return to JFK, we must conclude the third party booked with us incorrectly"
3. Dollar did not explain that the prepaid fuel plan is just an option; we understood that we have to take it.
Dollar response: "It appears you accepted prepaid fuel upon pickup. This was $34.29."
My recommendation: Don't book Dollar Rent-A-Car; Don't do business with Booking Group.
Shahar Galili (on behalf of my wife and sister-in-law)
Bookinggroup ref 38026580 / Dollar ref S3869742 / Dollar Case ID 1337704
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Flag FlaggedI am suprise that Forever21 is not on the worst list
They are not only worst in customer service but also worst retail to work for
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Flag FlaggedAt the moment Samsung is at the top of my S**t List. I have purchased a few cell phones and digital cameras and each time their lack of customer service was horrible. Not overly rude but overly stupid. They new nothing of their products, and lied and didn't listen to my problems. Final result of 2 cell phones and 2 digit cameras later was that I am out 2 phones that quit working and 2 cameras that got thrown away. I will not and do not even look at Samsung products or will ever purchase one again. I would get one if it were given to me free but money is to tight to use any of mine with this company in the future.
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Flag FlaggedPizza hut has the worst customer service!!!!!!!!! PIZZA HUT IS THE WORST. do not eat food their unless you want to DIE from their Disgusting food and the mangers that work there are RUDEEEEE!!! pizza hut number one for HORRIBLE service!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Flag FlaggedHave been calling Comcast customer service for 6 days and getting nowhere. Found out on 4th day, no ticket had been written and no record of the 3 previous days calls noted. I also sent emails and get responses that don't deal with my issue (can't access, send or receive emails). It is almost impossible to get a supervisor and they aren't helpful either. Saying you are sorry is not worth anything when there are no results....The worst!
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Flag FlaggedCheapOAir they are the worst I have ever delt with. Use a differant airfair website. This is the worst ever.
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Flag FlaggedHow is AT&T on the worst list and not Verizon? I was with Verizon for 10 years and left due to their customer service. AT&T is awesome, they actually take care of their customers.
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Flag FlaggedTime Warner Cable not making the worst customer service list, it should be number one, destroys this list credibility. TWC should be number one with a bullet! Their Price Lock Guarantee campaign is a scam; their digital phone is unreliable--no dialtone constantly and their Internet service don't provide the speeds you're paying for. And lest not forget their Techs who cancel your appointments saying you wasn't home when you've been sitting home waiting all day. When you call in you go through hell and back before you get to a live person. Call five times the same day about the same problem and you get five different answers...
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