Consumers are losing patience with cable and satellite TV customer service operators who are supposed to help solve their problems, according to a survey out today.
Customers who've called for help rate their satisfaction with cable's and satellite's service desks at a score of 66 out of 100, research and consulting firm CFI Group says in its second annual Contact Center Satisfaction Index study.
That's down 3 percent from a similar poll taken last year, and puts the TV providers last -- behind insurance and personal computer companies -- among the seven industries that the firm monitors.
It also trails government call centers, which earned a 70 on the CCSI rankings.
Some 20 percent of those asked in the March survey said that cable and satellite help desks couldn't solve their problems. "Cable does worse than satellite," although they're lumped together for reporting purposes, says CFI CEO Sheri Teodoru.
Consumers' growing frustration with the help lines could become a serious problem, as competition intensifies from phone companies that also offer TV and Internet services.
Cable companies in particular "don't get it, and customers don't believe them," Teodoru says. "If I as a consumer had a bad experience with my favorite online retailer, I'd say that I'll still go back because it's been great every other time. If I get a bad experience with my cable provider, I'd say, 'There they go again.' They have a whole lot of work to do to convince me that they've improved."
Consumers in the firm's Internet-based survey, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points, said that cable and satellite representatives are slipping when it comes to effectively handling an issue, showing interest in helping, their knowledge and their ability to discuss the matter clearly.
That tracks with an increase in the number of cable and satellite subscribers who...

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