Over the last decade, all of the top-four wireless carriers have dramatically improved their customer satisfaction ratings. Even so, we tend to take our hats off in congratulations to the winners of surveys. The latest J.D. Power customer care survey said the winner is AT&T Mobility as the best-performing full-service carrier. Consumer Cellular is the winner for no-contract provider.
Ten years ago there was a big difference in quality, reach, reliability, speed and every other factor when comparing wireless networks. Ten years ago, customers would not rate any carrier well. Today however, every wireless network has improved. All of the top four are very good and getting better all the time.
J.D. Power surveyed 7,500 full-service wireless customers. The winner, AT&T Mobility, earned a score of 820 out of a possible 1,000. T-Mobile US earned 815, Verizon Wireless 797 and Sprint 750. As you can see, they are all pretty close, but it’s important to reward the winner as a way to keep every wireless carrier striving to improve; a benefit to every user out there today.
Around 2,500 no-contract and mobile virtual network operator customers were polled in a separate category in the study. Among these, Consumer Cellular was the winner earning 878. AT&T Mobility’s Cricket Wireless earned 790 for second place, while Sprint’s Boost Mobile earned 784 and T-Mobile US’ MetroPCS earned 765, Sprint’s Virgin Mobile reached 761, and Tracfone Wireless was at the bottom of the customer satisfaction list.
The power of advertising and marketing on customer satisfaction
What’s surprising in this annual survey is that Verizon Wireless seems to continually be No. 3 of four. Its advertising and marketing makes it sound like it is the best in the business, but customers often have a different opinion.
I regularly test many devices from a wide variety of carriers. I also talk with many customers on a regular basis to get the sense of each in today’s marketplace. I am happy to say that customers are generally happier today than they were 10 years ago, back then they loved the mobility, but hated the quality, reliability and so on. Today things are different – customers are happier with their carriers.
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Wireless customers happier today
The wireless industry has changed. In fact, the wireless industry continues to change. Think about it: 10 years ago we didn’t have an iPhone or Android; 10 years ago Apple and Google were not wireless; 10 years ago Nokia and Blackberry led the handset space; and 10 years ago there were countless, smaller wireless networks.
Everything is different after the iPhone and Android transformed the industry over the last decade. Today we use our wireless phone as the remote control for our lives, not just as a phone. Today we use wireless data at an astounding rate and that is ever increasing. Today we have well over 1 million apps compared to the few hundred of a decade ago.
The wireless world continues to expand and change. Over the last decade carriers focused on winning new smartphone customers. Today, however, nearly everyone who wants a smartphone, has a smartphone. Today carriers are trying to win business and customers from each other.
Wireless customer satisfaction is key
In today’s world, customer satisfaction is key. That’s why this J.D. Power study is so important. It is not perfect of course, since every carrier has different strengths and weaknesses in different spots in their networks. The important question is: Do they have great quality where you spend time? That is harder to determine of course.
However, general studies like this from J.D. Power are great tools to help customers make decisions going forward. Just remember, it’s only one tool of many you should be using to make sure you are using the right carrier for you.
With all that said, congratulations to all wireless carriers who did well in this year’s J.D. Power survey, especially AT&T Mobility and Consumer Cellular who are No. 1.