ISPs say their "excellent customer service" is why users don't switch providers
US broadband providers claim customers stay with them because of excellent customer service, but many users say they rarely switch simply because there are no comparable alternatives or switching is heavily frictioned. Commenters describe monopolistic or highly concentrated markets, opaque contracts, retention games, and poor support, contrasting this with experiences in places where infrastructure is separated from retail service or municipal/coop fiber introduces real competition. A minority point to standout ISPs and coop or city-run networks as evidence that better pricing, reliability, and support are achievable when market structure and regulation are different.
Customer Service vs. Reality
- Most commenters reject the idea that “excellent customer service” keeps users from switching.
- Common view: if you need to contact ISP support at all, the provider has already failed.
- “Good” service is defined as never needing support; stable connectivity matters more than any interaction.
- A minority say they genuinely like or tolerate big ISPs because they rarely have issues and don’t care about speed/price optimization.
Lack of Competition and Switching Friction
- Dominant theme: people don’t switch because there are few or no viable alternatives, not because they’re happy.
- Many report single-provider or de‑facto monopolies (especially cable) or only much worse alternatives (very slow DSL, WISP, Starlink price/perf).
- Even where a second option appears, switching is seen as a hassle: new equipment, scheduling installs, fear of outages, or complex cancellation processes.
- Some note that mere presence of competition improves incumbent offers (higher speeds, lower prices).
Pricing Games and Retention Tactics
- Numerous anecdotes of:
- Sudden large price hikes until customer threatens to leave, then “special deals” restoring old rates.
- Introductory discounts that expire, driving churn every 6–12 months.
- Full‑month billing even after cancellation requests.
- Many see this as evidence of market power and regulatory failure, not good service.
Cancellation, Billing, and Equipment Horror Stories
- Long waits just to return hardware; mandatory sign‑ins and queues for 30‑second tasks.
- Fear of being falsely billed for unreturned equipment; insistence on receipts, which sometimes still don’t prevent charges and even debt collection.
- Stories of “cancelled” accounts that were never actually canceled, leading to months of bogus bills and threats of collections.
Examples of Better Models
- Municipal or coop fiber and some niche ISPs are praised: lower prices, symmetric speeds, low latency, minimal outages, and highly competent support.
- International examples (EU, UK, NZ, AU, Canada, Helsinki) highlight:
- Structural separation of infrastructure from retail ISPs.
- Regulated wholesale access and easier switching.
- Mixed results where regulation exists but pricing or design still favors incumbents.
Technical Quality vs. Support
- Some note issues like bufferbloat, asymmetric upload, and data caps as bigger problems than frontline support.
- Others run dual ISPs; redundancy makes occasional outages tolerable and softens views on any one provider.