Markets

The 5 Best (and Worst) Companies to Do Business With

By Carla Fried

Updated on: February 17, 2011 / 1:21 PM EST / MoneyWatch

We've all got enough stress in our life that the last thing we need is to buy services and goods from companies that make our life harder. If poor customer service, convoluted product choices, unclear communications, and a "gotcha" business model rife with fees at every juncture -- yes, banks and credit card issuers, I'm talking to you -- isn't exactly your cup of tea, a new ranking of 102 well-known American companies is a great shopping guide for those of us looking for a little less stress.

Global branding firm Siegel+Gale developed a Brand Simplicity Index that ranks firms on how easy or hard they make it on their customers. Here are the firms that get kudos for keeping things simple:

1. Netflix
2. Subway
3. McDonald's
4. Dunkin Donuts
5. Burger King

And here are the five worst companies to deal with (not exactly a shining moment for financial services and health insurers, is it?):

102. CIGNA
101. Citibank
100. HSBC
99. Cablevision
98. United Health
At first glance, it's easy to think this is an unfair apples-oranges comparison. Ordering up a movie through Netflix or a footlong at Subway seems like an entirely different endeavor than filing a health insurance claim or getting a loan or CD at a bank. But that's exactly the point: Why can't we expect financial institutions to be as clear and straightforward as a fast-food menu, or as anti-gotcha fee as Netflix? That's pretty much one of the central goals of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that Elizabeth Warren is readying for its July 1 launch.

An Industry Shopping Guide
In the survey, more than 1,000 U.S, citizens were asked to weigh in on which industries and brands "contribute most/least to making your life simpler/more complex?" Respondents were asked for details on:

Pain of interactions
Ease of understanding of communications
Transparency/honesty
Care about their customers
Innovation/freshness
Usefulness
Which brands have the simplest or most complex communications and interactions in relation to their industry peers?

The maximum score a firm could snag was 1,000. Siegel + Gale considered a score of at least 750 to be Excellent, a score between 601-749 rates to be Average, and 600 or less to be Below Average. Netflix topped the list with a score of 857, while CIGNA's low score was 277. Below is a breakdown of the best and worst within a few key industries. One grain of salt: Not every brand/company in the U.S. was included in the survey, although most of the big ones were (Siegel + Gale ranked 102 firms). So for example, Bank of America was not part of the banking survey for some reason, nor was GM included among the automakers.

GROCERY STORES:
Best: Trader Joe's (#7 overall, 795 score)
Worst: Whole Foods (#36, 666 score)
BANKS:
Best: Wells Fargo (#71, 566 score)
Worst: Citibank (#101, 290 score)

INSURANCE COMPANIES (AUTO/HOME)
Best: GEICO (#58, 641 score)
Worst: State Farm (#87, 471 score)

INSURANCE COMPANIES (HEALTH)
Best: Wellpoint (#84, 495 score)
Worst: CIGNA (#102, 277 score)
AUTOMAKERS:
Best: Honda (#34, 673 score)
Worst: Dodge (#63, 588 score)

AIRLINES
Best: Southwest (#30, 683 score)
Worst: Delta (#97, 386 score)

RENTAL CARS:
Best: Budget (#26, 781 score)
Worst: Avis (#95, 386 score)

CELL PHONE SERVICE:
Best: Sprint (#13, 775 score)
Worst: Alltel (#89, 460 score)

COMPUTERS:
Best: Dell (#39, 661 score)
Worst: Apple (#64, 585 score)

ONLINE SHOPPING:
Best: Amazon (#11, 782 score)
Worst: Overstock.com (#72, 557 score)

And here are a few big brand names that didn't easily fit into a broad category:

Walmart (#6, 814 score)
Starbucks (#9, 791 score)

More on MoneyWatch:

Where to Get the Best Customer Service
What to Buy at Trader Joe's
What Not to Buy at Trader Joe's
What to Buy at Walmart
What Not to Buy at Walmart