A few of these brands are personal favorites and others are consistently recognized for their outstanding customer service. After years of automated phone hell, it does seem that customer service is beginning to improve slightly. Or maybe that’s just me. In this economy it is one way for big brands, and YOU, to stand out. Here are some fine choices

1. Southwest Airlines. WHO among us is not enjoying the whole “We Love Your Bags” campaign from SW Airlines? Brilliance. The marketing firm who put that one together should be very well rewarded. Definitely a fine example of pointing out a unique feature and selling it to death!

2. Panera Bread. I give Panera kudos because, unlike stingy Starbucks, they give their WiFi away for free and they did it early on. They know what Starbucks hasn’t figure out still: people almost always buy something when they go in to work or study at a place with free internet.

3. Verizon Wireless. Despite no iPhone yet, Verizon customers are very loyal. They provide great customer service which is a chief complaint about AT&T.

4. Virgin. Whether airlines or cell phones or music, Sir Richard and his brand have a strong following and fan base.

5. Nordstrom. This high-end department store consistently wins on the customer service

6. Zappos. Zappos has built its whole brand, from the beginning, on the premise of over-the-top customer service. From surprise shipping upgrades to unlimited talk time for customer service reps, they know what they are doing and their bottom line reflects this.

7. Ace Hardware. Proving bigger is not always better (is it ever?), Ace has beat out Lowe’s and Home Depot for customer service in reader polls.

8. Amazon.com. From free shipping on only $25 purchases, a wealth of choices and quick repairs when mistakes DO happen, Amazon has been a consistent performer in customer service.

9. Ford. By not taking bailout money or a salary, Ford built a strong reputation for caring for their shareholders, customers and country.

10. Apple. Notorious for giving people products that they are excited about, Apple wins for design, word of mouth and flat out appeal.

Tags: amazon.com, customer service, iphone, Mobile phone, Panera Bread, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Verizon Wireless, Wi-Fi

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 10:41 pm and is filed under Business, Customer Support, Top 10 Thursday's, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.