J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Wireless Retail Experience Study – Volume 1 places T-Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, and Mint Mobile at the top of their respective categories for overall customer satisfaction with the wireless retail experience.
The mobile study looks at two elements of the retail experience: cost and promotions, and the purchase process. Responses from 17,331 customers who use any of three purchase conduits — phone calls, visits to the carrier’s store, or digital channels such as a website or mobile app — were used to determine the results.
The study ranked T-Mobile No. 1 among mobile network operators, with a score of 832. This is the 15th consecutive volume for the carrier. AT&T (scored 815) and Verizon Wireless (scored 809) placed second and third. The average score in this segment was 819.
Spectrum Mobile ranked No. 1 among full-service mobile virtual network operators, with a score of 855. The carrier was followed by Metro by T-Mobile (scored 852) and Cricket (scored 847). The average score in this segment was 844.
The study ranked Mint Mobile No. 1 among value mobile virtual network operators, with a score of 873. The carrier was closely followed by Consumer Cellular (scored 872) and by Visible by Verizon (scored 856). The average score in this segment was 844.
J.D. Power’s study shows that overall satisfaction with the mobile retail experience fell 8 points from the previous study’s volume, landing at 827 on a 1,000-point scale.
The researcher said the drop in satisfaction is largely due to a decline in how respondents scored cost and promotions: only 34% of customers studied thought their wireless service had improved in value. Interestingly, satisfaction increased significantly (by 203 points) among customers who view their plans and features as easy to understand, J.D. Power said.
Carl Lepper, senior director of technology, media and telecom at J.D. Power, noted, “As plans seem to be getting more complicated and challenging, wireless providers should take the customer experience to another level of service.
“By taking time with customers, being patient and explaining new phone technologies or any changes they are making to an account, customers will have a better understanding of their billing and feel more satisfied with their service.”
The J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Study, released earlier this month, said that mobile customers are showing increased dissatisfaction with their online and in-store experiences for the first time in a couple of years.
