The readers have spoken: David Jones, Myer, Qantas Airways and Optus offered some of the worst customer service this year, based on comments on last week’s blog, The Venture’s 2011 Worst Customer Service Awards.

Image: There's no other store like David Jones ... except maybe Myer. Photo: Nic Walker

Other companies were prominent. Foxtel and Vodafone featured for poor call centre and billing processes. Vodafone is a regular in these awards. Telstra had a mixed response; some criticised its call-centre and billing but others noted its customer service improved in 2011.

Few readers criticised the big banks for poor service. Perhaps that could change after the banks dragged their feet after the Reserve Bank’s latest interest rate cut.

Surprisingly, McDonald’s featured several times in the biggest decline in customer service category, with readers saying the fast food giant’s standards have slipped in 2011.

What’s your view?

• Do you agree with the companies chosen for worst customer service?
• Should other companies have made the list?
• Do you think Australian consumers expect too much customer service?
• Are you willing to pay more for better service?

The results make interest reading but let’s be honest: the Worst Customer Service Awards are not a precise survey tool. The blog format can bias results and encourage readers to focus on a small group of companies. And not all readers completed the four questions, which were as follows:

• Australian company with the worst customer service in 2011.
• Most frustrating call-centre, voice-recorded message, or billing department.
• Biggest decline in customer service standards in 2011.
• Worst example of shocking service.

What the blog does have is volume. About 36,000 people read it and 216 provided detailed comments on their service experiences. Dozens of pages of reader comments, some recounting awful service experiences, gave a first-hand insight into how some companies treat their customers.

Their comments should be compulsory reading for companies that deal with the public and continue to cut service and damage their brand. Now in their third year, the Worst Customer Service Awards have enough reader comments on bad service to fill a book.

It was no surprise that David Jones and Myer dominated the top award. I suspect service at department and discount stores has become so bad that customers simply no longer expect anything better. You find the clothes, try them, fetch other sizes and if you are lucky there’s a staffed cash register nearby where you can pay. And they wonder why sales are falling. At least they are using more staff over Christmas, according to reports.

Qantas was another obvious choice in the top category. The grounding of its fleet in October clearly influenced results, but there seems to be more to it, judging by reader responses.

Australia Post’s inclusion was a surprise. It was nominated six times in the top category for poor service. I hadn’t noticed deterioration in its service; more reader confirmation is needed.

• What’s your view: are Australia Post’s service standards slipping?

Foxtel also receive more entries than expected. I found the pay-TV operator quite good to deal with, but some readers had a terrible experience, particularly with its call centre. Are they right?

One reader felt the comments were too harsh. She said: “I had to stop reading (the comments) as I started to feel overwhelmed by the out-of-proportion reactions people have to customer service experiences. The generalisations are amazing. You deal with one or two people and an entire company is suddenly worthless … Get some perspective. I’ve had good and bad experiences this year, and take each as an individual experience that I move on from, rather than letting frustration build to the point where months later I’m still bothering to get worked up. People in service jobs are people too, and I think customers forget this.”

Fair point. Perhaps the best advice is rather than get angry, get even. Shop online. Change utility providers if they have poor service. Support smaller independent shops that provide real customer service. Let big companies know that low customer service eventually means low customer numbers.

And don’t stew on the problem for too long. Why pay an even higher price for bad service?