ATLANTA-A recent report commissioned by Telecom Media Networks and conducted by Harris Interactive found that wireless subscribers want their wireless providers to be more proactive in offering the best wireless plan to suit their calling needs.
“The collapse of the wireless pricing structure has created a highly price sensitive, largely non-distinguishable market,” said Patrick Hayes, vice president of Telecom Media Networks. “As a result, carriers have been forced to compete in the margins around secondary issues such as customer service, rewards and price plans. Getting the most value within the context of a comprehensive pricing plan is paramount to any other concern for a large segment of wireless consumers.”
The study also found that carriers’ attempts to attract the highest spending customers might not be the most profitable as those customers that spend more than $76 per month for wireless service have a higher tendency to select the lowest possible price point plans than customers who spend between $50 and $75 per month for wireless service.
The study noted that carriers should focus their attention on keeping and attracting only customers that have been with their wireless providers for more than a year as these customers spend the most on their wireless service, account for more than 77 percent of wireless users and are less costly to carriers because they are less likely to churn.
“Overwhelmingly, high spenders in the loyalist and potential loyalist categories have indicated that a proactive effort by the carrier to provide them with the most appropriate plan is a key reason to remain with that carrier,” said Hayes.
The survey also found key satisfaction and loyalty drivers for the major wireless carriers, including Sprint PCS offering the lowest prices and contacting customers to offer the best plans based on phone use; AT&T Wireless Services Inc. providing accurate billing, offering the lowest prices, contacting customers to offer the best plans based on phone use, making customers aware of products and services, and targeting products and services to consumers’ specific needs; and Verizon Wireless offering easy-to-understand calling plans and billing, resolving billing issues quickly and contacting customers to offer the best plans based on phone use.
In addition, the survey reported T-Mobile USA Inc. received the highest satisfaction and loyalty rating among all providers; Sprint received the lowest ratings; and Verizon Wireless received higher overall satisfaction and loyalty ratings compared with AT&T Wireless.
