11 Companies with the Best Customer Service in America

If you’re interested in dealing with the 11 companies with the best customer service in America, then you’ve come to the right place. What is all the fuss about customer service and satisfaction and why do companies care about this? Well, because a happy customer likes to come back, thereby enhancing the company’s sales. But do all companies need to worry about satisfying customers in every aspect? There is no straightforward answer to this question.

Competition plays a major role in this regard. In a competitive industry like retail or fast-food, customer satisfaction and quality of service plays a major role in retaining customers. But in industries like airlines and healthcare, where the competition is not as heavy, companies don’t rate customer service and satisfaction as their top priority, which is likely why companies in those sectors tend to fare poorly in customer satisfaction.

So, how did we identify the 11 Companies with the best customer service in America? By going straight to the customers themselves. We’ve compiled two separate surveys/polls, beginning with 24/7 Wall St’s annual survey, in collaboration with Zogby Analytics, which identifies the best- and worst-rated companies in customer service, among 151 top American companies in 17 industries. Next, we analyzed the data from Temkin Group, which has collected feedback from customers every year since 2012 and rates more than 200 companies from over 20 sectors on their customer service.

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If we take a deep look at the ratings compiled by both Zogby Analytics and Temkin Group, we can see a trend emerge. Temkin Group rates a lot of food chains, retailers, banks, supermarkets and hotels in its top 20. On the other hand, Zogby Analytics rates a lot of retailers, tech companies, hotels, food chains, and carriers in its top 20. The common trend here is that both surveys list retailers and food chains prominently in their top 20s, while healthcare and airline companies were absent from both lists. However, the customers who participated in Zogby Analytics’ survey thought that tech companies provide better service compared to some hotels and retailers, whereas the people who participated in Temkin Group’s survey think that tech companies’ services are not up to the mark.

Is it ethical to treat customers well? If you think so, don’t miss our list of the 10 Most Ethical Companies in The US for further related reading.

So what methodology can be followed to come up with the list of the 11 Companies with the Best Customer Service in America? What we decided on for this article was to formulate an average rating between the two surveys so as to identify the top-11 companies with the best customer service. We assigned a points value to each position in the top-20 of each survey, starting at 100 points for the top spot on either list, 95 for second, and so on, down to 5 points for a 20th-place finish. We then divided their points by two to come up with an average score per survey. With that in mind, head to the next page to check out the list of the top 11 companies with the best customer service in America.

T-10. HEB Grocery Company, LP

Ranking in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: 6th

Ranking in Zogby Analytics Survey: N/A

Average Score – 37.5

HEB Grocery Company, LP is a famous supermarket chain based in San Antonio, and has around 350 stores in the state of Texas. HEB Grocery Company featured in Temkin’s Ratings in 2015 as well, ranking as the ninth-best company and fourth-best supermarket chain in America for customer service, which improved to sixth and third respectively in 2016. HEB Grocery Company did not feature in the top-20 in Zogby Analytics’ surveys in 2015 or 2016.

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T-10. Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)

Ranking in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: N/A

Ranking in Zogby Analytics Survey: 6th

Average Score: 37.5

Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) is the next one in our list of companies with the best customer service in America. It is one of the top providers of electronic equipment in the world. In the competitive technology industry, customer service ought to be the key focus point in retaining customers and gaining marketshare, as Sony has accomplished that with its high quality products and especially its popular gaming consoles. As indicated by the Zogby Analytics survey, Sony has focused a lot on customer service, establishing 500+ customer service centers across America. Sony’s ranking improved from eighth in 2015, with 37.5% excellent ratings, to sixth in 2016 with 41.1% excellent ratings. Sony did not register on Temkin’s Ratings.

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T-8. Wawa, Inc.

Ranking in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: 5th

Ranking in Zogby Analytics Survey: N/A

Average Score: 40.0

Wawa, Inc owns and operates around 700 Wawa Food Centers in various U.S states. In the supermarket industry, Wawa enjoys a competitive advantage by providing excellent customer. In addition to groceries, sandwiches, deli offerings, coffee, and salad, the company also sells gas. With heavyweight competition in the industry from players like Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST), getting ranked above those big names for best customer service is indeed a great achievement for the company.

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T-8. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (OTCMKTS:SSNLF)

Ranking in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: N/A

Ranking in Zogby Analytics Survey: 5th

Average Score: 40.0

Up next in our list of companies with the best customer service in America is Samsung Electronics Co Ltd that is one of the top electronics companies, and has played a vital role in redefining the smartphone market around the globe. Samsung held a major share of the smartphone market in America during 2016, with its flagship devices like the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S6 Edge+. It has been a relenting couple of quarters for Samsung however, with its smartphone sales declining due to serious issues with the batteries in its latest Galaxy phones. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) is also a major player in the appliances industry as well. In the 2015 Zogby Analytics survey, Samsung was ranked ninth, with 36.9% excellent ratings from customers, whereas in 2016, Samsung moved up to fifth position with 43.2% excellent ratings. Thanks to its product quality and excellent support network, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) is not a company that could be withheld from this list.

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7. Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR)

Ranking in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: N/A

Ranking in Zogby Analytics Survey: 4th

Average Score: 42.5

Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR) managed to maintain its fourth-place ranking from Zogby Analytics’ 2015 survey. On the other hand, in Temkin’s Ratings, Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR) dropped to 56^th position in 2016 from 23^rd in 2015. According to Zogby, Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR) is considered to have the best customer service in the hotel industry, which is vital, as customer service is a key metric for the industry. In addition to its high quality customer service, the company was praised for having knowledgeable staff which helped add value to the company. Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR) has more than 5,000 hotel properties around the globe.

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T-5. TRUE VALUE COMPANY

Rating in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: 3rd

Rating in Zogby Analytics Survey: N/A

Average Rating: 45

TRUE VALUE COMPANY is up next in our list of companies with the best customer service in America. It is one of the world’s largest wholesale hardware stores and deals with a wide variety of products, including home improvement supplies, appliances, paint, sporting equipment, and more. TRUE VALUE COMPANY operates more than 4,000 retail stores around the globe. While the company did not feature in Temkin’s Ratings in 2015, it jumped to the top spot among retailers in America in 2016, ranking third overall.

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T-5. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Rating in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: N/A

Rating in Zogby Analytics Survey: 3rd

Average Rating: 45

No introduction is needed for this technology giant. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) that ranks 5th in our list of companies with the best customer service in America. It is the world’s top technology company and to maintain that position for such a long time is proof that its customers are rarely disappointed when it comes to Apple Inc.’s products and service. In addition to all of the company’s service and repair centers, Apple also operates 28 service call centers in America. These call centers are positioned strategically in America to maintain quality service across the globe. Apple retained its third position in Zogby Analytics’ survey, with a 45.5% excellent customer service rating in 2016, compared to 40% in 2015. Temkin’s Ratings ranked Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) second in the ‘Computer and Tablets’ industry, behind Amazon, but only 69th overall.

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T-3. USAA

Rating in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: 1st

Rating in Zogby Analytics Survey: N/A

Average Rating: 50

The USAA (United States Automobile Association) is a major player in the insurance, banking, investing, real estate, retirement planning, and health insurance sectors. The USAA has dominated Temkin’s Ratings, ranking as the company with the best customer service in America in each of the last four years. However, despite the fact that Temkin ranks the USAA as the best customer service provider year after year, Zogby Analytics’ survey ranked it only 40^th in customer service in 2016. And now, let’s see the top three entries in our list of companies with the best customer service in America.

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T-3. CHICK-FIL-A, INC.

Rating in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: 20th

Rating in Zogby Analytics Survey: 2nd

Average Rating: 50

CHICK-FIL-A, INC. is another food chain company to feature on the list of the top service providers in America. CHICK-FIL-A, INC. owns and operates around 2,000 restaurants in America and was one of only three companies to land in the top-20 on both customer satisfaction surveys. The company held down its second-place spot in Zogby Analytics’ survey for the second-consecutive year and has also featured in the top-20 in Temkin’s Ratings for the last five years. CHICK-FIL-A, INC. is well-known among customers for its chicken sandwiches, chicken salads, chicken strips, and chicken nuggets (basically, its chicken).

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2. Publix Super Markets Inc. (OTCMKTS:PUSH)

Rating in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: 2nd

Rating in Zogby Analytics Survey: 17th

Average Rating: 57.5

Publix Super Markets Inc. (OTCMKTS:PUSH) ranks second in our list of companies with the best customer service in America. It is one of the leading supermarket chains in America, owning and operating around 1,100 supermarkets in various states. Publix Super Markets is another company which fared well in both the surveys, and has ranked within the top-15 for its customer service in Temkin’s Ratings since 2012. On the other hand, in Zogby Analytics’ survey, Publix Super Markets Inc. (OTCMKTS:PUSH) was ranked as the 17th-best company in terms of customer service in 2016 after not making the top-20 in 2015.

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1. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Rating in Temkin Customer Service Ratings: 12th

Rating in Zogby Analytics Survey: 1st

Average Rating: 72.5

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) tops our list, after being ranked as the company with the best customer service by Zogby Analytics in 2016, with around 62% of customers rating its customer service as excellent, up slightly from 60% in 2015. Temkin’s Ratings also ranked Amazon highly, as the 12th-best customer service provider in America. Amazon has cracked the top-20 in Temkin’s Ratings for customer service since 2012. Amazon.com’s business model and policies ensure that customers come first. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is well-known for providing a variety of high-quality merchandise to its customers at a comparatively low-cost and with a slew of valuable bonuses for its Prime members, thereby gaining its customers’ trust and ensuring their loyalty.

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What do your think of our list of the 11 Companies with the Best Customer Service in America? Are there are companies you agree or disagree with? Share your thoughts on their service in the comments below.

Disclosure: None