1. AOL
2. Comcast
3. Sprint Nextel
4. Abercrombie & Fitch
5. Qwest
6. Capital One
7. Bank of America
8. Time Warner Cable
9. HSBC Finance
10. Cox Communications

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/ConsumerActionGuide/TheCustomerServiceHallOfShame.aspx

I was a little surprised to see A&F listed, mostly because they'd have to be dicks to your face, whereas most of the other companies can do it over the phone. I checked out the comment thread though and found a lot of interesting stories, particularly from former employees.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/community/message/thread.asp?board=ConsumerActionForum&threadid=674451

From a manager:

Quote :

"The work is hard but most do just treat it like party time. My store was never like that, I actually cared more about the customers than being "cool". The best thing I ever did, though, was quit that job. Being required to wear mini skirts, tank tops, and flip flops in the winter while listening to loud techno all day on repeat was NOT my idea of fun. "

And here's another interesting one:

Quote :

"I worked at A&F for 3 years. We treated the customers like dirt. Why? Because my 20 year-old manager NEVER showed up for work. She was always hung over from her all-night parties. There was absolutely no incentive to provide good customer service. In fact, the "top brass" at A&F secretly encouraged poor customer service in order to keep the parents out of the store."

And just for kicks here's a story from the Raleigh, NC store:

Quote :

"I actually worked at an A&F in Raleigh, NC back in college (which wasn't that long ago). I only worked there for about a month and made a whopping $5.75 per hour. You would think that they could pay more seeing as how they overcharged for clothes that looked used and fall apart after 2 washings. A&F actually requires managers to have a college degree, but most are recent graduates who do it until they can find a better job. Working at A&F was the worst job I ever had. I was hired because I was "good looking" whereas my friend did not because she "didn't have the look." (we are both white by the way...so they aren't JUST racist, they are discriminatory in everyway possible) The managers stayed in the back rooms/office and left all the employees out on the floor to do what they wished. The organizational aspect of the company is crap which makes the company crap. A&F has this thing about "visual aspects." They won't sell you clothes on manequins/displays even if they have none other left in the store. If you go in a store, check out the price tag and see what it says. It's all about image to them, and they are selling that image to children and teenagers. By the way...I hate A&F, I don't shop there, and the only reason I worked there was because I needed a job over Christmas. I was probably the most helpful employee they've ever had because I was actually nice to the customers. Everyone else just stood around because the managers were "nowhere to be found." "

5/28/2008 10:42:19 AM

Dell

5/28/2008 10:45:53 AM

i read this as customers with worst computer service and kept wondering why the fuck you were talking about A&F

5/28/2008 10:47:08 AM

DIREC

T

V

5/28/2008 10:49:02 AM

Quote :

"In fact, the "top brass" at A&F secretly encouraged poor customer service in order to keep the parents out of the store.""

interesting


Sprint is HORRID. I like their coverage but 2x a month i was talking to the quasi-qualified in engerish about my bill. For months it was charging me twice for all my services for just one phone. Anyway i left and went to suncom, great customer service but the actuall cell service is horrible. Cant win for loosing

5/28/2008 10:57:49 AM

i can understand that though

if i had a job that required me to wear a mini-skirt, i would probably quit too

5/28/2008 11:02:35 AM

I've never had any customer service problems with Comcast. Every time I've called them they have been nice to me and sorted out whatever the matter was. The actual cable service on the other hand could use some work.

5/28/2008 11:04:50 AM

Very pleased with Comcast's customer service. Their website can be a little weak at times, but the actual human beings that you talk to are intelligent enough to handle your problems in a prompt and courteous fashion

5/28/2008 11:28:11 AM

A&F made it to number FOUR

a walk in brick and morter store in the top fifty is bad but holy crap

I'm going to go to one just to see this bad service I hear about and possibly some pussy-bulge

5/28/2008 11:29:40 AM

dude i've had 10x better customer service with BOA then Wachovia...

5/28/2008 11:30:10 AM

oh, and that Publix is even on this list (#103) is shocking. Publix is, without question, the best grocery store in the country. Their deli rocks, their seafood rocks, their bakery rocks, they carry a ton of beer, they accept anyone's coupons, the stores are spotless, and the employees don't act like lifeless jackasses.

5/28/2008 11:37:30 AM

the people i've talked to at spint have definitely ruined my life before...

i'm surprised directv isn't up there... they're the worst people i've ever had to deal with in my LYFE

5/28/2008 11:52:15 AM

I can't find a list of best customer service. Sad that we only focus on the negative stuff.

5/28/2008 12:01:28 PM

just flip the list around and you have best to worst

5/28/2008 12:06:32 PM

According to http://fiosexperience.blogspot.com/, Verizon takes the cake.

Read from the bottom to get the story in order. It really is quite something.

5/28/2008 12:08:36 PM

i remember having sprint and that shit sucked

5/28/2008 1:12:33 PM

TIME
WARNER
CABLE

5/28/2008 1:21:11 PM

i've had good experiences with BOA

but for the love of god do not get involved with HSBC in anyway

5/28/2008 1:42:59 PM

i've never had a problem w/ capital one customer service.

5/28/2008 2:00:05 PM

MOAR LIEK

ABERCROMBIE & BITCH

amirite?

5/28/2008 2:02:53 PM

i switched to Sprint a couple years ago because i could actually use the phone inside my home.

their customer service has been fantastic.

in fact THEY CALLED ME this morning because i had run over on text messages/ minutes and just took the charges off.

5/28/2008 2:08:51 PM

Quote :

"According to http://fiosexperience.blogspot.com/, Verizon takes the cake."

so this leaves me wondering:

when I move to Baltimore and have to choose between Comcast and Verizon for TV/internet service, which is the less evil?

5/28/2008 2:11:54 PM

anything but comcast, they're horrible

5/28/2008 2:19:09 PM

^^ at least you have options

5/28/2008 5:18:09 PM

Quote :

"i've never had a problem w/ capital one customer service."

I can't login online and have been on hold twice to talk to "tech" people about this for ~30 minutes. I get an unexpected error every time with two different computers in different locations. Therefore, I cannot pay my bill online. I don't get a paper bill, so I have to call in my payment. I have to argue with them every time about their $11.95 phone payment fee.

As far as Comcast, I have had them for over two years and have never had one problem with phone, tv, or internet service. I have had to call them a couple times to pay my bill and they actually have a free automated payment. Their boxes are slow to change the channels though.

[Edited on May 28, 2008 at 5:36 PM. Reason : a]

5/28/2008 5:34:48 PM

LOL @ AOL

5/28/2008 5:39:05 PM

Quote :

"8. Time Warner Cable"

Ha. They're great compared to Charter Communications

5/28/2008 6:46:52 PM

My favorite experience w/ tw, was being on hold w/ them for 3 hours, at work, and then getting an automated answer... "i'm sorry, you have been on hold for too long CLICK"




I left work, shaking mad, sped to their office and got what I wanted, while scaring the shit out of their employee. I'm sure I had a vein throbbing from my neck/forehead or something.

[Edited on May 28, 2008 at 6:54 PM. Reason : ]

5/28/2008 6:53:53 PM

^ EXCELLENT! Haha...

Were you shouting words like "MOTHERFUCKER" and "BITCH NUGGETS" at the top of your lungs?

5/28/2008 6:54:45 PM

I did yell something in my own office that half the buidling heard to that effect. I don't remember exactly the reason for my call or what was said, now.

I tried to be as nice and pc as possible at thier office, but I did so sternly, and shaking mad.

[Edited on May 28, 2008 at 6:58 PM. Reason : ]

5/28/2008 6:58:03 PM

3 cable companies. who woulda guessed. cox is probably the one i had least issue with actually.

[Edited on May 28, 2008 at 7:11 PM. Reason : charter is terrible. i havent had FOX in 3 days]

5/28/2008 7:09:33 PM

Quote :

" Ha. They're great compared to Charter Communications"

TRUTH.

TW both in charlotte and raleigh was HEAVEN compared to charter

5/28/2008 7:15:47 PM

first few months of charter were hell on earth, but tw sucked the entire time iw as in raleigh. randomly would go out for no reason. gay as shit.

i rank um

1.cox
2.charter
3.tw

5/28/2008 7:28:32 PM

time warner cable
alltel

5/28/2008 8:01:36 PM

if A&F is bad ive never noticed it
in fact ive not noticed it for most places
its only when things do go as scripted that you see how bad a company is

i deal alot with dell and ive seriously come close to tearing my office apart on account of how mad they made me, wasting a whole day sometimes calling being disconnected, rerouting 100 times, etc

the fact is you're on your own, if you are not perfect in how you get customer service dont expect them to bend over backwards to get you serviced

5/28/2008 8:16:27 PM

Quote :

"4. Abercrombie & Fitch"

Why would you need.....Why would you even....Was something wrong with your $30 board shorts?

5/28/2008 8:19:04 PM

4. Abercrombie & Fitch

should be listed at number 1. these complaints are hilarious:

"My 16 yr old niece took me to the A & F in Tucson. There were 2 clerks on a very busy Saturday, the music was OSHA reportable and the lighting is deplorable! (I also think the clothes look ragged and ugly.) Never again."

5/28/2008 8:28:48 PM

if its a bunch of parents reporting A&F then it shouldnt count
of course they wont like it, its not for them

5/28/2008 8:38:23 PM

circuit city fucking sucks.

5/28/2008 9:10:00 PM

SunCom is garbage.

Dell continues to get worse every year.

Real Yellow Pages will fuck your shit up if you ever sign a contract with them

[Edited on May 28, 2008 at 9:34 PM. Reason : .]

5/28/2008 9:13:59 PM

I don't think it's just parents that don't like Abercrombie. I think most of my friends grew out of that phase after high school, even hollister. I liked them before they became that type of store. I remember when they first opened in our mall. This was when a size 6 was really a size 6 and not a size 2. There's more things wrong with Abercrombie than just their customer service.

5/28/2008 9:33:27 PM

Chase has got to be on that list, there is a mistake

5/28/2008 9:45:29 PM

A&F has to have horrible customer service because it just isn't cool to be poliet and normal. You have to act like you got two tickets to moronfest and couldn't careless about anything other than hair to be a teenager nowadays.

5/28/2008 9:46:34 PM

I always love when people bitch about sprint's customer service. In four years I've never once not gotten what I've wanted from them. Once you get a competent rep they will usually bend over backwards to accommodate you. Their e-care chat/email support is usually the best method of getting things done if time isn't of the essence. The only thing that sucks is the tier one general support call center.

5/28/2008 9:58:11 PM