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long island power authority
The Long Island Power Authority is currently ranked the lowest in the energy utilities sector. The score plunged 11 percent in April alone. Common complaints include rate hikes and overbilling mistakes linked to listing homes as commercial instead of residential. Hurricane Irene also led to widespread outages last August. In January, a bill was passed requiring the utility to "undergo comprehensive and regular management and operations audits" and creating a new way for customers to file complaints.
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northeast utilities
The company's reputation was severely damaged after two major storms at the end of 2011 caused massive power outages. A destructive snow storm last October left hundreds of thousands of homeowners and businesses sitting in the dark without heat for up to two weeks. The extensive outages ultimately led to the resignation of the president of Northeast's subsidiary Connecticut Light & Power in November 2011.
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charter communications
Poor customer service and unfair billing practices are common complaints about the fourth-largest cable company in the country. One customer explained, "The sales rep originally promised us a $42.95 a month for services, with an introductory price of $24.95 for the first 3 months (a savings of $18 a month). After the introductory period ended, the company started charging me $56.95, when I finally caught on that they were charging me $14 more per month than what is said on the Work Order (could provide at anytime for proof), he never once mentioned that there will be a $10 more per month, and now the company says if you have no other cable service with us (Charter Communications), you are to be charged $10 more per month!!"
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united airlines
It's no surprise that United Airlines has been dubbed the "the worst airline in America." In March, the carrier generated an unusually high amount of aggravation after a computer switchover following the airline's merger with Continental caused widespread flight delays. Poor customer service, flight cancellations and lost baggage are other common gripes. One customer wrote, "It's unbelievable! I was charged twice, and I had to wait over an hour on the phone to talk about the overcharge on my credit card. This company has a serious problem. I will never fly United Airlines again!"
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| 6. |
time warner
Although the cable provider improved marginally since 2011, slow internet speeds, cable outages, disastrous customer service and high rates continue to cause frustration among users. On customer vented, "TWC has destroyed my business and doesn't give a damn: I first complained five weeks ago about outages and miserable upload speeds. I need to send large files to clients. I've had two technicians visit, who both found it was in the neighborhood. Today, I found the situation has not changed and am told there's no further work order." Customers also complain about being stuck with Time Warner because there are no competing services in the area.
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cox communications
According to ACSI, "higher rates and fees for many Cox customers are sapping customer satisfaction."
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facebook
The social site's common complaints include users' privacy and child safety. One user wrote: "I had to change everything. I have not ever done anything. Customer support is non-existent. These people think we can't fight back. I'm talking to an attorney now. Facebook, you're not God." When the company launched its Timeline feature, there was even greater concerns about its privacy settings. Zack Whittaker of Zdnet said that the new tool has made Facebook "stalking" even easier.
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