NEW YORK-Orange plc outshined the other major mobile network providers in the United Kingdom, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 1998 U.K. Mobile Customer Satisfaction Study.
Orange’s overall satisfaction rankings were fueled by top scores in key areas, including corporate capabilities, call quality and price, said J.D. Powers. The company surveyed 1,800 mobile phone users in the United Kingdom.
These consumers rated their cellular provider on 36 characteristics that were grouped into seven weighted categories: image/capabilities (25 percent), call quality (21 percent), price/value (21 percent), customer-focused communications (13 percent), customer service (13 percent), local area coverage (4 percent) and billing (3 percent).
Orange topped the list with 121 points, and One 2 One also edged out the industry average of 100 points by one point. Cellnet and Vodafone Group plc both scored below the industry average with 96 points and 93 points, respectively.
“Based on our extensive work in the United States mobile industry and the results of the United Kingdom study, it is evident that as the market becomes more competitive and subscriber growth slows, customer satisfaction is becoming a key differentiator and an important indicator of the potential for customers to change mobile providers.”
The impact of customer satisfaction is reflected in the U.K. market by high potential churn rates for Cellnet and Vodafone. Thirty-six percent of Cellnet customers, and 33 percent of Vodafone customers indicated they might switch network providers within the next year. Personal communications network users were less likely (25 percent) to switch, and Orange had the lowest potential churn rate with 23 percent of its subscribers considering a move.
