The 18 Most Hated Companies In America (They've all but given up on customer service)

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."

I recently had two major appliances needing repair. I won't even go into the trauma I had in enduring multiple phone calls (17 in two days) to Sears (now owned by KMart) customer service.

Customers phoning "customer service" are greeted cheerfully by programmed robots who talk in a sing-song voice and are stationed somewhere in India, Taiwan, Grand Fenwick or Upper Slabovia. They have difficulty dealing with all but the most simplified requests. If they can't answer and you ask for an American (which is your right) or for a supervisor you get placed on indefinite hold. They never come back, ever.

In which case, when you try re-dialing again you get a different robotic foreigner, you have to repeat your request in detail again and your whole thing has to start from scratch....with the same results unless you get lucky.

Tip....instead of phoning the Sears (alias KMart) national customer service number try your local Sears repair dispatch center if you can find its number in your phone book.

If you have a home appliance repair, talk to your repair guys and after some prodding, they'll tell you about the absolute and almost incomprehensible amount of complaints flooding Sears (really KMart) nationwide about their appliance customer service. They shake their head, they are disgusted also, but powerless to do anything.

Actually, there's little problem with the guys who do the actual repair....they're good at what they do and have good attitudes. For the sake of brevity, the real problem in dealing with Sears (owned by KMart) "service" lies in anything to do with the telephone...and I need say no more.

If you talk to Sears retirees, they'll shake their heads in sadness for what Sears (aka KMart) has become over the past decades. They'll tell you the problem started when the decisions and instincts of middle-west-based REAL MERCHANDISERS (medium management, store managers, buyers, etc.) who loved their company and who built it up for over the century into a merchandising behemoth were replaced by the anonymous financial SUITS in New York and elsewhere. These money "experts" began making the final merchandising decisions....and they failed and still are failing miserably.

They care for the bottom line only......and customer service be damned.

I could go on about Sears retail stores as an aside, but everyone has his or her experiences. In my mall, jewelry, gifts and cosmetics disappeared many years ago. Shoes and other square-footage merchandising spaces are leased out to other entities.

Just try to find a clerk on the floor anymore (except in tools, outdoor stuff and appliances) to help you find something.

You need assistance in curtains? Forget it, the only visible clerk "can't leave my check-out station".

Give me a break.

Wait till the commie in the White House drives all local shop owners out of business....and the sad vestiges of what used to be a great, iconic place to patronize remain moldering away in local malls....kept alive only by Craftsman tools, riding mowers and Fruit-of-the-Loom bath towels.

Did I forget to mention Sears is owned by KMart?

Leni

That's so strange - it appears we might have spoken to some of the same people on the Sears repair line. I would hate to think they're all like that - so it MUST be the exact same people in India, Taiwan, Grand Fenwick and Upper Slabovia. Who would have thought it? Right?

My solution for dealing with K-Mart - opps, I mean Sears - is to NOT. I buy all appliances from Home Depot or Lowes...now. It's sad, because like you I remember when Sears was a place worth shopping at... they still have the best tools for the price - and since tools don't need repair - I'm still a minor customer... who knows how long the tools will stay high quality ...

Thanks for your comments - and for sharing...

Personally I’ve never seen Sears as a great place. It was poor well before K-Mart took over (which BTW I thought was dying). The only thing good about it consistently was hardware, in my lifetime. They’ve been taking others’ designs and putting their stamp on it as if it was all theirs for ages. Kenmore is overrated - I’ve dealt with that several times from the houses we’ve bought. For service - find a local repair shop or in our case, BG&E is still quite good (not as good since it’s not independent anymore).

For electronics/appliances we preferred Monkey - oops Montgomery Wards. Unfortunately they died, and a decade before that had let go of electronics/etc. We had other places, too, but that was a good catch-all (not to mention my mother’s beloved local Hutzler’s).

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