T-Mobile USA and Sprint are alone together at the top of the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Full-Service Wireless Purchase Experience Study. The survey recognizes “excellence in customer sales satisfaction.”
Based on J.D. Power’s scoring system, T-Mobile and Sprint scored five out of five, while Verizon scored four out of five. AT&T got a dismal two out of five score.
T-Mobile secured half of first place thanks to positive customer responses in the following areas:
- Timeliness of completing a purchase and promptness of being served
- “Above industry average in every area” when customers made purchases or upgrades over the phone
- Outperformed the competition in cost of service (i.e. price of plans, additional services, and equipment)
Sprint attributed its success to improved customer experience in its retail stores, specifically the “Ready Now” program in which Sprint retail associates work one-on-one with customers to personalize their phone, set up all of its features, and demonstrate how it works before they leave the store.
For T-Mobile, this marks the wireless provider’s fifth consecutive highest ranking for this particular survey. The semi-annual study has been around for eight years.
It would be a small consolation prize, but if the AT&T and T-Mobile merger does go through, then Sprint will likely find itself on top of this list alone next year.
This slightly contrasts a customer service quality survey conducted by Vocal Laboratories. The results published earlier this month found Verizon and Sprint on top of AT&T and T-Mobile with 64 and 66 percent of customers, respectively, who said they were “very satisfied” with customer service calls.
In other T-Mobile news, T-Mobile has signed a new agreement with Family Dollar Stores to bring its prepaid LG GS170 feature phone to approximately 6,000 Family Dollar Store locations nationwide.
T-Mobile also recently teamed up with 7-Eleven on the same prepaid LG handset that starts at $29.99 without a contract. Pricing, rules and features will be exactly the same at Family Dollar Stores as they are at 7-Eleven.
Related:
- FCC launches probe following wireless blocking in San Francisco
- AT&T beefing up mobile security with help from Juniper Networks
- FCC will give joint attention to AT&T’s Qualcomm, T-Mobile deals
- T-Mobile rolling out new rates for small businesses
- AT&T tops competitors for customer loyalty in San Francisco
