Better sales efficiency and being able to exceed customer expectations are key attributes contributing to higher satisfaction among full-service wireless customers who have bought service online, according to the J.D. Power “2015 U.S. Wireless Purchase Experience Full-Service Customer Performance Study – Vol. 2” and the “2015 U.S. Wireless Purchase Experience Non-Contract Performance Study – Vol. 2.” Satisfaction among full-service customers who had recently purchased service through an online/website channel purchase increased a significant 22 index points from the Vol. 1 study, to 814. That was the largest improvement among the three customer channels included in J.D. Power’s Vol. 2 report.
J.D. Power’s semiannual studies of the wireless purchase experience cover the experiences of wireless customers across three channels: phone calls fielded by sales reps, visits to retail shops, and website visits. Assessment of customer satisfaction is based on six criteria. In order of importance these are: store sales reps; phone sales reps; store facility; website; offerings and promotions; and cost of service.
Satisfaction among customers who had made purchases via sales reps via phone increased modestly, rising from 796 to 805. Meanwhile, satisfaction among customers who had made a purchase via a retail shop sales rep increased one index point, to 799.
Wireless Purchase Experience
AT&T ranked highest among wireless full-service carriers with an overall score of 804. AT&T performed particularly well on four of the six purchase experience factors, including offerings and promotions and phone sales representative factors, J.D. Power highlights.
Boost Mobile ranked highest among wireless non-contract carriers, finishing with an overall index score of 796. Store facility, website and phone sales reps were strong categories for Boost.
Overall satisfaction with the websites of non-contract carriers dropped 7 index points to 802 from the last report. The reason full service customers’ website satisfaction increased while that of non-contract customers declined relates largely to how long it takes to complete a purchase transaction, J.D. Power said.
“The study shows a direct correlation between an efficient sales transaction process and improving satisfaction with the overall website purchase experience,” commented Kirk Parsons, senior director and technology, media & telecom practice leader at J.D. Power.
“Full-service customers who make purchases on websites are finding it much easier to complete their transaction. This is largely because full-service carriers have invested heavily in self-service and online channels to make the overall sales experience more enjoyable and efficient.”
Other report highlights include:
- Overall satisfaction among wireless full-service customers improved to 797, up 7 points from the 2015 Vol. 1 report. Among non-contract wireless customers overall satisfaction rose to 785, up 7 index points.
- While 42 percent of full-service customers indicate they made their most recent purchase in a wireless retail store; 26 percent used the phone; and 33 percent did so online. In contrast, 61 percent of non-contract customers indicate their most recent purchase transaction occurred in a store, and only 35 percent indicate that it was via phone.
- The average total time full-service customers spent completing a sales transaction in a store is approximately 51 minutes—a decrease of approximately 3.0 minutes from 2015 Vol. 1 study. In comparison, customers making a purchase from non-contract carriers spend an average of just 42 minutes in a retail store.
- The percentage of full-service customers who say they experience “no pressure” during the retail sales transaction declined to 65 percent in 2015 Vol. 2 from 76 percent in the Vol. 1 study.
