| [October 27, 2004] |
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In-Stat/MDR Survey Places Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile in Dead Heat for Top Customer Satisfaction
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --(Business Wire)-- Oct. 27, 2004 -- A recent Consumer Mobility Study (CMS) by In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com) has revealed that Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA are virtually tied for the top spot in Customer Satisfaction.
The high-tech market research firm finds that, although the U.S. wireless industry's overall customer satisfaction ratings remained steady during the first half of 2004, some carriers' relative positions shifted significantly. Notably, T-Mobile posted a solid improvement, and Nextel slipped from the top spot into the second tier of providers, in terms of Customer Satisfaction.
"In a time of intense competition and industry consolidation, consumers' perceptions of their wireless carriers are critical factors in the battle for market share," said Clint Wheelock, director of In-Stat/MDR's Wireless group. "While the industry's service levels remain strong in several key areas, there are a number of opportunities for improvement in Quality of Service and Customer Service, as subscribers grow increasingly willing to switch carriers in the pursuit of better service."
In-Stat/MDR has also found that:
-- Consumers' willingness to switch providers has increased dramatically in the past year, with 19.8% of survey respondents stating that they "definitely will" or "probably will" switch in the next 12 months, versus only 14.5% in July 2003.
-- Sprint subscribers have the longest average tenure and T-Mobile subscribers have the shortest.
-- Verizon Wireless subscribers were the most impressed with their provider's Quality of Service.
-- In terms of Quality of Service, the most frequently cited carrier strength was good coverage around town. For carriers as a whole, the most frequently mentioned weaknesses were poor in-home coverage and too many dropped calls.
-- Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile received the highest marks from their subscribers in Customer Service.
-- The most frequently mentioned strengths for Customer Service were bills that are easy to read and understand, as well as courteous and helpful customer service representatives. Many CMS respondents were not able to name specific weaknesses in this area, or stated that their carrier does not have specific Customer Service weaknesses. Among the specific attributes mentioned, however, the greatest perceived weakness was low-quality support at retail stores.
The report, "Consumer Wireless: Drivers of Loyalty and Customer Satisfaction" (#IN0401647MCM), based on In-Stat/MDR's Consumer Mobility Study, contains the following analysis on the state of the U.S. wireless market: Customer Satisfaction among U.S. wireless consumers as a whole, as well as satisfaction ratings for each of the top six national wireless carriers: AT&T Wireless, Cingular, Nextel, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, consumers' likelihood to switch wireless carriers, including trending information from 2003 and 2004, Quality of Service ratings (signal reception, voice quality, dropped calls, etc.), including each carrier's strengths and weaknesses as perceived by their own subscribers, and Customer Service ratings (billing issues, customer service reps, tech support, etc.), again including each carrier's strengths and weaknesses as rated by wireless consumers. For more information on this report, please visit: http://www.instat.com/catalog/Wcatalogue.asp?id=231 or contact Erin McKeighan; emckeighan@reedbusiness.com or 480-609-4551. The report price is $2,495.
About In-Stat/MDR
In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com) offers a broad range of information resources and analytical assets to technology vendors, service providers, technology professionals, and market specialists worldwide. The company stands alone in its ability to integrate both supply-side and demand-side research methodologies into a single comprehensive view of technology markets and products. This capability relies on a unique ability to cover the entire value chain from engineering-level technology, through equipment, infrastructure, services and end users.
In-Stat/MDR is part of the Reed Electronics Group, a division of Reed Elsevier (www.reedelsevier.com), a world-leading publisher and information provider. With more than 38,000 employees worldwide, Reed Elsevier operates in the science & medical, legal, education and business-to-business industry sectors, providing high value and flexible information solutions to professional end users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet.
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