We all know that customer service is important. Serve customers well, and they're likely to keep coming back or even tell their friends. Treat them poorly, and plenty of people will hear about it.
As investors, we can find that it's profitable to follow which companies are known for great service, which are improving their service, and which are not doing so well. To that end, here are a few companies recently singled out as among the best and worst in customer service by the folks at crmlowdown.com:
The Best
No. 1: 1-800-Flowers
No. 5: Southwest Airlines
No. 9: American Express
The Worst
So which companies were awarded the lumps of coal? Here are just a few:
No. 1: Dell
No. 3: Time Warner's
No. 9: Home Depot
Your thoughts
What are your thoughts on this vital topic? Which companies have made an impression on you because of their stellar or stinking service? Share your thoughts on our discussion board and in our CAPS service, where thousands of investors have rated thousands of stocks.
Here are some more of our thoughts from Fool HQ:
Dell and Home Depot are Motley Fool Inside Value recommendations. Time Warner and Dell are Motley Fool Stock Advisor, picks. Whatever your investing style, The Motley Fool has a newsletter for you!
Longtime Fool contributor Selena Maranjian owns shares of Time Warner and Home Depot. The Motley Fool has a full disclosure policy.