Survey says: Comcast, Time Warner Cable customers are still the angriest

Comcast and Time Warner Cable are the most hated companies in each of the three "triple play" markets where they operate, according to an American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report being released.

The two cable companies, which are attempting to merge, ranked second-to-last and last in the Internet service market as well as the subscription TV and fixed-line telephone service markets, the ACSI found. Comcast and TWC also fared poorly in 2013 but cemented their places at the bottom in 2014 by dropping significantly in customer satisfaction.

"Time Warner Cable lags behind the entire industry following its second consecutive yearly decline, down seven percent to an all-time low of 56 [on the ACSI's 100-point scale]," the ACSI report said. "The combination of low and downward-trending customer satisfaction for both Comcast and Time Warner Cable is cause for concern amid merger talks between the two companies. The issue at stake is not that the proposed merger will limit competition, as the service territories of the two companies do not overlap. Instead, it is the question of whether a combination of two pay-TV providers with such poor records could possibly create a better customer experience, especially given the volume of evidence from ACSI data suggesting that mergers in service industries tend to damage satisfaction -- at least in the short term."

Moreover, they're the worst-rated companies in the most hated industries. The ACSI averages the results of its customer interviews to create indexes for more than 40 industries. Subscription TV service and Internet service ranked last, and fixed telephone service was in the bottom 10 along with health insurance.