Earlier this month, The Atlantic put together a list of The 19 Most Hated Companies in America based on the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI).
As an introduction to the list, David VanAmburg from the ASCI points out that all of the companies included operate in industries that lack a high degree of competition — i.e. commercial banking, utilities, and cable companies. Not coincidentally, this means that customers of these companies who’d like to switch to a competitor have a very laborious task in front of them — it’s difficult and expensive to do so, and you’re not transitioning to a company that’s assuredly better. This puts the customer in a serious bind.
The online retail marketplace offers a positive contrast to the above predicament. The existence of many retailers offering similar products at nearly identical prices effectively shows how increased competition begets increased (read: better) customer service. Companies like Sierra Trading Post, NewEgg, and Neiman Marcus are all keenly aware of how fragile a relationship with a customer can be — therefore they do their best to ensure happiness.
As many of the companies included in The Atlantic’s list continue to move access to their products and services online, it will be interesting to see if competition increases and if customer service will follow.
