A Guide to Picking the Least-worst Option
It’s a fact, cable TV is the worst. No longer is it just in our imagination. According to a research group at the University of Michigan, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), customer satisfaction of cable companies is the lowest in any industry in the country. And guess what? It’s not done tanking. It dipped another 3.1 percent in 2015. Its benchmark score is a mere 63 and some providers (Time Warner Cable and Comcast) are clocking in at barely above 50. Just so that you get the clear picture, the US Postal Service ranks at 75.
If you didn’t have cable before, there was just no way for you to watch your favorite shows. Not anymore. Subscription services and streaming devices are currently on the rise. Furthermore, some of the best shows are not even on cable TV anymore (seriously, how bad can cable TV get?) The likes of Netflix and Amazon Instant Video are ruling the world of shows as we know it. Streaming is now the way to go and you’re archaic if you’re still stuck with cable TV. We previously took an in depth look at various ways of getting your entertainment fix, including cable (eye roll*) satellite, and streaming.
Anyway, back to cable. Let’s be real here, if you’re sticking to cable TV, especially one of the old-school providers, it’s most probably because you value the hundreds of channel On Demand, snagging a low rate (at least for the first year) and robust DVR functionality.
All the cable companies we researched have the exact same features. Now, don’t roll your eyes just yet. That’s a good thing. The bad news is that as such, they have the exact same flaws (you can now roll your eyes) such as low-ranked customer service, confusing bills, complex package options, long installation appointments, inevitable rate hikes, fees, and discounts that require bundling with services that you may not really need – think landline phones.
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), they all don’t offer service where you live. You see, cable and fiber optic companies have to run a physical line down your block. If they don’t, you’re out of luck: no service for you, unlike with streaming services or satellite dishes. Worse yet, there is just no easy way for you to find out where they offer services. You have to type in your ZIP code and hope to the heavens that the form recognizes your address.
If you are one of the lucky few who have access to the services of more than one cable company, we suggest that you prioritize customer support. You really do not want to get stuck with the worst of the worst service provider in an industry known for poor customer service. After customer support, go for value. If you’re paying less for it, it’s sort of worth the pain, right?
Our Picks for Least-Worst Cable TV Providers
- Least-worst Overall – Verizon FiOS
This has the highest customer satisfaction compared to the other providers in the industry. It is only in 13 states but still beats the other fiber optic options in availability.
Verizon FiOS has a score of 71 from the ASCI, a whopping 20 points higher than the worst provider and a couple of points above our favorite satellite company, DirecTV. Even with competition from streaming and market influx, the company is still adding more customers compared to other cable companies. It added 90,000 new subscribers to its 100 percent fiber optic digital TV service in the first quarter of 2015 alone. There are reasons why it’s ahead of the pack; it offers good quality: faster movie downloads, crisp picture, and no threat of winter storm warnings that usually knocks traditional cable out of service.
- Broadest Coverage – Comcast XFINITY
According to the ASCI scorecard, Comcast scored a poor 54. Installation takes a few hours, rates go up after the initial period and be ready to climb a tree if you’re having billing issues. This company, however, has the widest nation coverage. It’s available in 41 states winning it best coverage but its customer service leaves a lot to be desired.
Honestly though, what is good is good. Comcast has the channels and package options ranging from $28 per month for local channels to $100 for 260 channels. Its X1 DVR comes with 500GB of storage, the ability to record five shows at once and a remote with voice search. The only way you can get the X1 DVR is to sign up for a two-year Triple Play contract that comes with a landline phone. If you don’t need the landline phone, too bad man. Cable just works like that.
- Most channels – AT&T U-verse
U-verse comes with more than 500 channels in addition to a fiber optic network. Since acquiring DirecTV, its bundling options are strong. Given that it is fiber optic, you enjoy faster downloads and crisper picture. Its customer satisfaction is just slightly lower than that of FiOS and it comes with more than a hundred channels compared to the next highest count. But who’s going to notice anyway? According to Nielsen, we only watch 17 channels.
Bundling with U-verse may get you a great deal if you already have cell or phone service with AT&T. Since AT&T acquired DirecTV, there’s a bundle for everyone even though u-verse is not nationwide.
- Juggernaut-to-be (Proceed with Caution) – Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable has the worst customer service rankings in the industry with a score of 51. After its merger with Comcast fell through in 2015, it sought a merger with the fourth-, seventh-, and 10th-largest cable providers in the industry. This was in an attempt to improve the company’s market share, and according to some critics, to have enough power to pressure programmers into not streaming their shows. Bright House and Charter (the other companies in the merger) both have higher customer satisfaction scores. Following the merger, the cable provider will now be known as Spectrum. Mergers are known to lower satisfaction rates in the short term.
- Worst Customer Service ranking (Not Recommended) – Mediacom
Mediacom is available in 23 states but its poor satisfaction score is characterized by poor customer service and weak reliability. The service provider is honestly not worth the hassle since it has spotty service and scripted call center reps thanks to its elaborate phone trees. The company’s Twitter feed is also full of multi-state outages and its customer support forum runs several threads a day all in an attempt to solve On Demand error codes, missing channels, equipment failures, among others.
| Cable TV Providers | Best For… |
| Verizon FiOS | Customer satisfaction |
| Comcast XFINITY | Broadest coverage |
| AT&T U-verse | Most channels |
The Bottom Line
We cannot recommend the best cable company for you. You are the only one who can decide what suits you best depending on which one serves your neighborhood. If you have more than one option, we recommend that you compare their customer satisfaction scores since everything else is most likely standard fare. The day you decide that dealing with cable TV is no longer for you, you can cut the cord altogether. Feel free to check out our TV provider review which will walk you through the device to buy and which services to subscribe to.
Featured Image: DepositPhotos/fizkes