Customer satisfaction with cable TV, Internet and phone service providers has fallen to a seven-year low, according to a study from the American Customer Satisfaction Index. When surveyed about satisfaction involving 43 industries, consumer response placed television and Internet companies tied for last place. Recent merger talks have placed TV and Internet providers under particular scrutiny, while disappointing customer service and rising prices have taken on a different dynamic in an era of streaming options such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.

“Internet and TV have always been among the lowest scoring,” said ACSI Director David VanAmburg. “But this year they’re at the very bottom.”

Customer service has a poor track record among Internet and TV providers. “They don’t have a good business model for handling inquiries with efficiency and respect,” suggested VanAmburg. “It goes back a decade plus.”

“Even though those complaints are longstanding, customer frustration has risen along with the ever-rising prices,” reports The New York Times. “But in an age of over-the-top viewing options like Hulu and Netflix, customer dissatisfaction may increasingly translate to companies’ bottom lines.”

The ACSI study is based on more than 14,000 consumer surveys.