[ben509]

Everyone who has ratings does it. I used to rate 3 = professional and fully acceptable until I got a call from Dell asking what they had done wrong, and then from Honda. I realized ratings are all inflated and staff are effectively penalized for less than perfect, and since I'm not going to screw someone because I disagree with their rating scheme, I just set 5 to acceptable and go off that.

The sane way to do it would be to ask yes no questions, but that would require thinking.

[buckminster]

So why leave ratings?

Nearly every time I have a bad experience with a company the problem is systemic, but a bad rating will be associated with the random person who served me. So I don't participate. If the problem is particularly bad I find another supplier.

[ben509]

If they did their job, I'll give them the "you did your job" 5 stars.

Even if the company has systemic problems, they still need to pay bills as long as they still have the job.

Finding another company is a smart option. I'd also write to the management to explain why that problem is blocking you from doing business with them, without mentioning who you spoke with.