Cable companies had the top ratings in a new survey of wireline business service customers conducted recently by J.D. Power, with the cable companies faring particularly well in the very small business market. Cox had the top rating in both the small/medium and very small business markets, while Time Warner Cable had the highest customer satisfaction rating in the large enterprise market.
The four top spots in the very small business segment were all held by cable companies, with Cox followed by Optimum Business, Charter and Comcast. Only one telephone company – Verizon – had an above-average customer satisfaction rating in the very small business market. In the small/medium and large enterprise markets, however, no cable companies other than the number one companies had above-average ratings.
In both the small/medium and large business markets, Verizon had the second highest customer satisfaction ratings. In the small/medium business category, Frontier and Verizon both had above-average ratings and in the large enterprise market, Verizon and CenturyLink both had above-average ratings.
The J.D. Power study based customer satisfaction ratings on six factors, including performance and reliability (23%), cost of service (21%), sales representatives and account executives (19%), billing (14%), communications (14%) and customer service (10%).
In 2013, overall customer satisfaction measured 661 on a 1,000-point scale.
One of the most interesting findings was that the percentage of wireline business service customers who select their service providers based on the provider’s ability to bundle services has more than doubled over the last year. In this year’s report, 15% of respondents said bundling was their primary selection criteria – up from 6% in a similar survey in 2012.
The survey also found that customers who purchase bundled services are more loyal. About one-fifth (21%) of customers purchasing bundled services said they definitely would not switch providers in the next 12 months – a higher percentage than researchers saw for any other group.
“Bundling offers businesses the convenience of having a single contact and bill for multiple services, which streamlines and simplifies the company’s day-to-day telecom management,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of telecommunications services at J.D. Power, in an announcement of the survey results. “In many cases businesses experience a cost savings, as most wireline providers will offer incentives to customers who bundle services. Combined, these factors contribute to a more satisfied and loyal customer.”
Other highlights of the J.D. Power report, titled J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Business Wireline Satisfaction Study, can be found on the J.D. Power website.
