Survey: Wireless retail experience a turnoff for consumers

Wireless customers aren’t pleased with their retail sales experience, and their opinion of it has gotten steadily worse since 2006, according to the most recent survey of retail sales satisfaction from J.D. Power and Associates.
The semi-annual survey examined evaluations from more than 6,300 customers who had made a retail wireless purchase within the past six months. It looked at their satisfaction in four areas, each given a different weight: sales staff (51%), store display (17%), store facility (16%) and price/promotion (16%).
The average satisfaction score for the industry fell 12 points year-over-year on J.D. Powers’ 1,000-point scale, and was down seven points since the last survey release in May of this year. J.D. Powers said that the most notable drop was in customers’ satisfaction with sales staff.
However, Verizon Wireless scored well above the industry average and was ranked first in retail sales satisfaction; T-Mobile USA Inc. was close behind. AT&T Mobility, Alltel Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corp. fell below the industry average in that order.
Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power, said that performance had been on a downward trend “based on a number of industry changes, such as the increase in new products and services, and the expansion of competitive retail sale channels. These forces have made it difficult for carriers to meet customer expectations as wireless service gains mass appeal.”
He also noted that at an industry-wide level, “big-box retailers also have a fairly large hand in the overall decline, as customers visiting these outlets report particularly low satisfaction levels with the sales process. The information and expertise that the sales staff provides is key in distinguishing wireless carriers that meet and exceed customer expectations from those that do not. Also, as providers match each other on price, retail outlets that provide the necessary product information and take the time to explain all the service options available will generate significantly higher satisfaction scores and, more importantly, increase the likelihood of repeat purchases.”
The study also found that:
–It typically takes an hour from the time the customer enters the store to complete the average wireless sales transaction, an increase of about four minutes from the last time the survey was conducted.
–More than 60% of customers who had visited a retail store within the past six months said they had made the visit to purchase a new wireless device, and 62% said they had gone in for an upgrade or replacement for an existing phone. About 15% of visitors reported that they had gone to the retail store for the first time.
–Customers don’t respond well to pressure. Retail satisfaction was 18% lower among customers who reported being pressured during the sales process.