Verizon Wireless ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction for
wireless data service, effectively meeting customer expectations and
requirements of both large enterprise and small/midsize business
segments, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Business Wireless Satisfaction StudySM released today.
Now in its fourth year, the study measures customer satisfaction of small and midsize businesses (fewer than 100 employees) and large enterprises
(100 employees or more) with their wireless voice and data services
across eight key factors. In order of importance, they are: call
quality (23%); sales representatives/account executives (16%); company
image (12%); customer service (11%); billing (10%); offerings and
promotions (10%); cost of service (9%); and performance and reliability
(9%).
Verizon Wireless performs particularly well in
both business segments in five of the eight factors: call quality,
billing, performance and reliability, company image and customer
service. T-Mobile follows Verizon Wireless in the rankings in both
segments and received high ratings from customers in the small/midsize
segment in cost of service, offerings and promotions, and sales
representatives/account executives factors, and in the large enterprise
segment in billing and cost of service.
“Verizon Wireless has
differentiated itself from the competition specifically by providing
superior customer service and strong network performance and
reliability,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services
for J.D. Power and Associates. “In the business community,
network-related issues such as call quality and performance
reliability, particularly among small and midsize companies, are
important elements that impact the daily decision-making process.
Verizon Wireless appears to be meeting these needs in an effective
manner.”
The study finds that large enterprise businesses are
more likely to have dedicated sales representatives to deal with sales
and customer service issues, which tends to lead to higher levels of
customer satisfaction. On average, the satisfaction score among large
enterprises is 682 on a 1,000-point scale, compared with 658 for small
and midsize companies.
“Having a single point of contact for
sales and service allows a business to quickly resolve issues, which
undoubtedly leads to a more positive customer experience, and
therefore, higher satisfaction,” said Parsons. “Smaller businesses that
don’t have a dedicated sales representative may have to spend more time
finding the right person help resolve their issues, which,
understandably, can be frustrating.”
In addition, depending on
the size of a business, wireless voice and data service priorities
vary. The role of billing has greater importance for large enterprise
businesses, while call quality is of particular importance for small
and midsize businesses.
“Typically, small businesses are more
vulnerable to connection disruptions, particularly when making wireless
calls inside buildings, which may cost them business revenue,” said
Parsons. “Because of this, smaller businesses place more emphasis on
the perception of their provider’s service reliability. Clearly, larger
businesses have more complex billing platforms, and therefore require
timely responses to inquiries about invoices as well as effective and
proactive communication about billing changes, when appropriate.”
The study also finds the following key business wireless usage patterns:
- Forty-one
percent of businesses subscribe to individual service plans for their
employees. Approximately 38 percent of businesses use shared-minute
plans, an increase from 31 percent in 2006. The remaining 21 percent of
businesses subscribe to a combination of individual and shared-minute
plans. Small and midsize businesses are more likely to subscribe to
shared-minute plans, compared with large enterprise businesses. - The
average monthly cost for wireless voice service among small/midsize
companies is $512, while large enterprise businesses spend $29,938 per
month, on average. - Overall, 54 percent of corporate
decision-makers report purchasing a brand of wireless handset for their
employees without soliciting employee input—an increase from 50 percent
in 2007. Additionally, 25 percent of decision-makers say they allow
their employees to select a brand of cell phone and reimburse employees
for the cost—an increase from 22 percent in 2006. - Sixty-five
percent of business wireless customers say they contacted a customer
service representative with a question or problem within the past
year—an increase from 62 percent in 2007. Among these customers, 25
percent report contacting their provider due to changes in service
plans, while 17 percent say they had issues with phone equipment
malfunctions or needed replacements.
The 2008 Business
Wireless Satisfaction Study is based on responses from wireless service
decision-makers at more than 2,478 U.S. businesses. Interviews were
conducted in February 2008. Visit JDPower.com to view customer satisfaction ratings for wireless service and carrier performance, call quality, customer care, retail sales and mobile phone handsets.