Some companies forget that old adage, “The customer is king” – and it’s part of the reason why they don’t get rave reviews for Service.
In fact, these five companies have made an embarrassing appearance on Consumer Reports annual holiday report card for “naughty” customer service policies.
- AirTran doesn’t include the price of the seat in its coach and sale-fare flight reservations. If you decide you’d like to choose a seat while booking online, it’ll cost another $6 to $20 each way.
- RadioShack sometimes charges different prices for the same products online and in the store – and won’t honor the lower price at the location where the higher price is advertised.
- The Swiss Colony ties delivery fees to the dollar amount, rather than the weight of the package – a practice Consumer Reports has criticized before. So a $25 purchase costs $5.95 to ship, and a $25.01 purchase costs $7.95 to ship.
- SiriusXM satellite radio charges customers an extra $2 every month if they want to receive bills and pay via mail. Only electronic bill payers avoid the fee.
- GameStop has a laundry list of rules governing its returns and exchanges and in the end the retailer still holds the customer hostage with this proclamation, “We reserve the right to refuse any return.”
Check yesterday’s post for five of the best customer service policies.