The Bottom 15
What do the companies that cool your apartment in 90 degree weather, ensure you don’t miss an episode of HBO’s Girls, transport you to your Caribbean vacation and connect you to your friends online all have in common? We hate them.
According to latest American Customer Satisfaction Index, the list of the 15 most disliked companies in the country (see full list below) is dominated by utility companies, cable provides, airlines, insurance companies, Bank of America and. . . FACEBOOK?
Let us examine the list further and determine the root of the issues. Most utility companies and cable providers operate as regional monopolies. This structure often breeds limited choices, higher prices and lower customer service. No one likes those things.
The other common thread between these companies is that many have served as the poster children for the country’s financial ills. Between the airlines’ bankruptcies (and subsequent acquisitions and luggage fees), Bank of America’s ill-fated decisions, and Facebook’s botched IPO, these companies have been the subject of many Wall Street Journal headlines.
Another interesting commonality between the companies on this list is that many are at the whim of Mother Nature. Nothing makes a customer angrier than power outages and flight delays.
The silver lining? BusinessInsider made an excellent point. These companies have set the bar low for their industry and as a result have made room for competitors (such as Jet Blue) to be successful by breaking the mold.
This is just one interpretation. What do you think? Are any companies missing from this list?
#1 Long Island Power Authority
#2 Northeast Utilities
#3 Charter Communications
#4 Comcast (Television service)
#5 United Airlines
#6 Time Warner
#7 Cox Communications (Television Service)
#8 American Airlines
#9 US Airways
#10 Delta
#11 CenturyLink
#12 Facebook
#13 Aetna
#14 DirectTV
#15 Bank of America 