Wireless service providers are confronting their customer care issues and are being rewarded with higher satisfaction scores, according to J.D. Power.
The “2023 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Study – Volume 1” found that the gains are due to heavy technology investments and overcoming staffing challenges.
Overall satisfaction increased from 794 to 808 on a 1,000-point scale. An improvement in problem resolution time was seen across website, app, phone and in-store channels.
Opinions were sought on three types of mobile firms. The scores:
- Mobile network operators: 803, compared to 790 in volume two of the 2022 study for the period six months earlier and 797 in volume one of the 2022 study from a year ago. T-Mobile won the category for the eleventh consecutive time with a score of 829.
- Mobile virtual network operators: 822, compared to 809 in volume two of the 2022 study and 807 in volume one of the 2022 study. Metro by T-Mobile won the category with a score of 832, followed by Cricket at 830 and Boost Mobile at 825.
- Value mobile virtual network operators: 815, compared to 797 in volume two of the 2022 study and 815 in volume one of the 2022 study. Consumer Cellular won for the fourteenth consecutive time with a score of 869, followed by Mint Mobile at 864.
“It is particularly noteworthy that we’re seeing consistent improvement in both digital/automated and live channels via interaction with in-store and phone-based representatives,” Ian Greenblatt, J. D. Power’s managing director of technology, media and telecom said in a press release about the wireless customer care report. “It is clear from the data that the top-performing wireless providers take a systemic, channel-coordinated approach to customer care and problem resolution.”
The study is based on responses from 15,940 customers who contacted the carriers’ customer care departments within the past three months. Responses were collected from July through December of last year. Six factors are evaluated: store service; phone service; website service; app service; social media service; and text service.
The “J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study,” which was released last month, also showed increased customer satisfaction. Verizon was the big winner. It was tops in the Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Southeast and West regions and tied with T-Mobile in the Northeast. AT&T ranked highest in the Southeast.
Why do you keep posting articles that list T-Mobile as the winner of some award but then point out at the bottom of the article, that Verizon was the big winner?