Which Wireless Service Is Best In Your Area?

Customer Satisfaction Study Results Help You Compare Carriers

To help consumers compare wireless carrier services, we show the results of two customer survey studies by J.D. Power and Associates and Consumers Union.

J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study-Volume 2

According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 U.S. Wireless Regional Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) StudySM released in April 2006, overall customer satisfaction with wireless service providers has increased significantly from 2005 as customers react to new service offerings and aggressive pricing strategies.

Overall network performance is based on 10 problem areas that affect the customer experience (in order of importance): dropped calls; calls not connected; audio issues; failed/late voicemails; lost calls; text transmission failures; late text message notifications; Web connection errors; email connection errors; and slow downloads. Network performance issues are measured as problems per 100 (PP100) network connections, with a lower score reflecting fewer problems and better network performance.

Carrier performance is examined in six geographic regions: Northeast; Mid-Atlantic; Southeast; North Central; Southwest; and West.

The study finds that the number of data-related problems, especially those related to slow connection speeds, is significantly lower among customers using 4G LTE-enabled devices than among those using devices with older 3G/4G technology standards, such as WiMAX and HSPA+.

For a 16th consecutive reporting period, Verizon Wireless ranks highest in the Northeast region. Verizon Wireless achieves fewer customer-reported problems with dropped calls, initial connections, transmission failures and late text messages, compared with the regional average. Verizon Wireless also ranks highest in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southwest and West regions.

U.S. Cellular ranks highest in the North Central region for a 14th consecutive reporting period. Compared with the regional average, U.S. Cellular has fewer customer-reported problems with dropped calls, failed initial connections, audio problems, failed voice mails and lost calls.

The 2012 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study--Volume 2 is based on responses from 26,695 wireless customers. The study was fielded between January and June 2012.

2012 J.D. Power and Associates' Highest Customer Satisfaction Award Recipients:

source: J.D. Power and Associates

* Regions
• Northeast Region includes: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
• Mid-Atlantic Region includes: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
• Southeast Region includes: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
• North Central Region includes: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.
• Southwest Region includes: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
• West Region includes: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.

2012 Wireless Customer Care Performance Study Results

Wireless customers who subscribe to tiered service plans that offer varying degrees of data amounts to access the Internet and related connection based services are considerably less satisfied with their carrier's customer service than are those with unlimited data plans, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Full-Service Performance StudySM--Volume 2 and the 2012 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Non-Contract Performance StudySM--Volume 2

Award Recipient:

• Full Service - Verizon Wireless
  
  
• Non Contract - Virgin Mobile
  

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Consumers Union's Survey Results

Consumer Reports has published its annual list of best cellphone carriers in the January 2013 issue. Verizon is at the top, having received the most favorable scores for voice and data service quality. It also scored well for staff knowledge and resolution of issues.

Verizon Wireless Tops Ratings.

Verizon Wireless was the highest-Rated major carrier in Consumer Reports' annual cell-phone service Ratings, based on a survey of 63,253 subscribers by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Of the four major U.S. national cell-phone standard service providers, Verizon Wireless led the pack, receiving favorable scores for voice and data service quality, and also for support attributes like staff knowledge and resolution of issues. Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T each received mostly middling to low marks, particularly for voice and text service quality.

AT&T was among the lower-scoring providers, but its 4G LTE network was Rated the most favorably of any carrier. Its users reported the fewest problems with that higher-speed service, which most new smart phones now use.

Though 4G customers are generally happier, faster data connections can lead to higher cell phone bills, Consumer Reports pointed out. Verizon and AT&T both recently introduced shared data plans that encourage higher data usage.

The report found that no-contract plans can be major cost-savers. Two-thirds of Consumer Reports survey respondents who switched to so-called "prepaid plans," which typically lack a contract commitment and bill each month in advance, saved more than $20 a month by switching to prepaid. Those savings can allow wireless customers to quickly recoup the cost of the phone itself, which can be higher if they don't make a contractual commitment.

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Consumer Report's 2012 Consumer Ratings

Source: Consumer Reports

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