Verizon ranked highest in customer service for postpaid contracts, while Virgin Mobile ranked highest for prepaid. 4G customers contact customer service frequently, especially during network problems. Smartphone customers have higher rates of problems with device malfunctions reported J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Performance Full-Service and Non- Contract Studies.
Verizon Wireless ranked highest in wireless customer care performance among full-service providers with an overall score of 762 on a 1,000-point scale. Verizon Wireless performed particularly well in phone contacts. Next highest scores were Sprint(7452) and AT&T(7432) followed by T-Mobile(7392).
Virgin Mobile ranked highest in overall customer care satisfaction among non-contract service providers with an overall score of 735. Virgin Mobile performs particularly well in phone contacts. Next highest scores were Boost Mobile(7013), TracFone (6983), MetroPCS (6893) and Cricket((6782) followed by Net10(6682).
4G LTE Means More Customer Contacts & More Chances to Keep Customers
- 60 per cent of 4G smartphone owners report having contacted their carrier in the past six-month period. While only 47 percent of a non-4G smartphone and 35 percent of traditional/feature phone owners contacted their carriers.
- Owners of a 4G-enabled device contact the carrier due to network problems (18%) while traditional phone owners contacted carriers less frequently(11%).
- According to JD Power, creating a superior customer experience leads to a higher propensity for customers to spend more on services and a lower likelihood they will switch providers in the future. This is especially true among customers who own a 4G-enabled device, as they report spending $36 more per month and are more likely to say they "definitely will recommend" their current carrier than are customers who own a traditional mobile phone.
As far as satisfaction in types of service, how customer service is handled and smartphones J.D. Power found;
- More than one-third (38%) of full-service wireless customers who resolved their issue via the online channel say they used their carrier's online chat function for customer service, an increase of two percentage points from July 2011. In addition, satisfaction is higher among customers who use the online chat function (749) than among customers who research information on their carrier's website (734); email their carrier directly (721); or utilize online user forums (664).
- Satisfaction averages 100 points higher (733) among non-contract customers who are initially addressed by a representative with the experience and understanding needed to resolve their issue, compared with customers who are transferred or referred to another representative (633).
- Approximately 40 percent of smartphone customers who contacted their carrier with a problem did so because they had a device malfunction or were experiencing repair-related issues.
The 2012 Wireless Customer Care Full Service Study—Volume 1 is based on responses from 9,098 wireless customers. The 2012 Wireless Customer Care Non-Contract Study—Volume 1 is based on responses from 2,840 wireless customers. Both studies are based on the experiences of current customers who contacted their carrier's customer care department within the past six months. The study was fielded from July through December 2011.