Business Insider has posted a list of the 19 most hated companies, based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Large banks, airlines, and power and telecom companies seem to be most hated according to thousands of customer satisfaction surveys. Weighing in at number 6, US Airways received 61/100 points from customers.

Discussion Starters:

• Does this list surprise you? Why or why not? Does the list reflect your own experience with these companies?
• According to one analyst at the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, large banks, airlines, and communication firms represent "not terribly competitive industries, as the switching barriers for most of them are quite high... In other industries, like the food or clothing sector, the competition is huge. They bend over backwards to make customers happy, because they have to." How does this rationale explain the customer service failures? Does it excuse them?