Verizon grabs #1 spot in J.D. Power mobile satisfaction rating

Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:54PM EDT

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For the first time in four years, T-Mobile is not at the top of J.D. Power's survey on wireless carrier customer service satisfaction. The bragging rights for 2008 now go to Verizon.

The rankings concern how well and how quickly carriers resolve customer service calls, not the quality of phone service. (So all those complaints about dropped calls and poor coverage don't apply here.)

J.D. Power's ranking system this year gives Verizon 103 points, mini-major Alltel a 102 score, and T-Mobile close behind with 100. AT&T earned a 97 rating and perennial laggard Sprint Nextel got a 79. (The minimum score you can get is a 70.)

Putting aside Sprint's sad, last-place finish, what's going on here? Is Verizon getting better, T-Mobile getting worse, or everyone simply getting better at dealing with customer service issues? It's probably not the latter: J.D. Power notes that due to the increasing complexity of wireless handsets, the average customer now spends longer on the phone making support calls than ever before. Longer calls mean longer waits for help: The average customer will spend 4.4 minutes on hold with his wireless carrier each year, up a third since 2003, and about half of all customers will have to call for help at some point.

If there's overall good news on the service front, it involves the number of calls it takes to resolve issues: Last year the average was 1.91 calls required to take care of a customer problem, but this year that number has plummeted to 1.76 calls per issue. Keeping customers from having to call you for help at all may be best, but keeping them from having to call back is pretty good, too.

LINK: Verizon Wireless seizes top spot from T-Mobile in J. D. Power rankings

Comments on Verizon grabs #1 spot in J.D. Power mobile satisfaction rating

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  • 286 Posted by tinee999 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    Although they deny it, Verizon does have DEAD ZONES and my house apparently is in one of them. I have been unable to recitify this problem yet and it looks as if I may have to purchase boosters ($350) for the house to get a better signal. Not quite ready to do this. Am living with dropped calls over 50% of the time and hatting it.

  • 287 Posted by sndrs4@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had Verizon and hated every minute. Went to T-Mobile had better coverage and very good customer service. Went to US Cellular better coverage and even better customer service. I'm about to switch to AT&T partly so I can bundle with my new awsome AT&T U-verse service and one bill. BTW, Cingular was a joint ownership between SBC and Bell South. SBC had bought AT&T wireless from AT&T and merged it into the Cingular deal. SBC bought the rest of AT&T and changed it's name to AT&T. The new AT&T then bought Bell South which included the rest of Cingular. Then changed Cingular's name to AT&T.

  • 288 Posted by sndrs4@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    I forgot to add something to think about. Verizone is owned by Vodaphone (Europe), T-mobile by a European company, and US Cellular by a German company. Verizon is buying Alltel. AT&T is the only wholey American company and is bring it's customer service back from partial sourcing in India to US. AT&T should be getting even better.

  • 289 Posted by secksncigs on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    Verizon is great! Much better than At&T which we switched from a year ago. Horrible customer service with them. Wish they would up the cap of their wireless broadband as well. 5g is ok, if you don't watch any videos.

  • 290 Posted by mikeymac.mailbox on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    Verizon can kiss my butt. US Cellular works in my workplace just fine, but I can't get a signal on Verizon at all. So no, 'I can't hear you now'!...

  • 291 Posted by beccaq12 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Verizon sucks. They do everything in their power to keep their fine print, very very fine! And their reply time is terrible. It sucks I just renewed with them and have all these problems 2 weeks after I get a brand new phone that is a piece of crap and now I'm stuck with them.

  • 292 Posted by issarah2007 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    As a customer service rep for VERIZON, this news makes me verrry happy, because I know personally I do everything I can to make the customer service experience a pleasant one for customers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 293 Posted by thecoolmacdude on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    You're kidding, right? My girlfriend has repeatedly had problems with Alltel (craptell). She's switching immediately after her contract is over with.

  • 294 Posted by lala_ae on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ive had sprint for a few years now and i feel the the phone plans are to complicated $15 for this plus $15 more for that its ridiculous not only that, ive been having alot of problems with their picture mail!!... Ive been looking around and im definitely switching to Verizon!!

  • 295 Posted by jadedixon on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    I just dumped Verizon for T-Mobile and have never been happier... got lots of crap from Verizon. Crap phones, crap service. Got tired of the crap and moved to T-Mobile. No more crap here!

  • 296 Posted by callison7 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    you have to find out which carrier is best for your location. while in my location verizon is far better in reception, zero dropped calls, it may not be the best in others. looking at coverage maps is a must before you decide on a carrier.

  • 297 Posted by callison7 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    and to the person who went through all those phones. thats probably the most rediculous thing ive ever heard. anyone who goes through that many phones has a problem with the way they handle and use them i.e abusing them. it may be YOU, not the phone

  • 298 Posted by jbfjbf555 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    I just want to echo the results --- Sprint has TERRIBLE customer service. No surprise at all they are rated the worst. Somehow my phone was connecting to the internet despite my asking them to disconnect the service. They charged me $200 and refused to correct it - and the Cust Svc Rep REFUSED to allow me to talk to her supervisor. I'd drop them in a second if I wasn't tied in to one of their contracts.

  • 299 Posted by tdrb42 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    AT&T is so much better than everyone else. I've had them for about three years now and I've had one problem. I got a quick response from tech support and they were very helpful and gave me a five dollar credit on my bill for my troubles. The service is great and it's a really good deal.

  • 300 Posted by alexis01229 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    I personally just had to make about 4 calls, and sent nearly 10 emails to get an billing error taken care of. Finally after nearly 3 weeks they did resolve it and rectify the situation, but it is very frustrating when companies do not just bill you correctly in the first place. Would save myself a lot of headache at least!

  • 301 Posted by whorod80 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had AT&T and it was the pits. I had to go outside every time I needed to make a call or receive one. The reception was horrible,as for the rollover minutes they were worthless for someone who doesn't need them. I switched to Sprint 5 years ago with the family plan and none of us have ever had a problem with reception. For the person who thinks she has a good deal paying $126.00 for three phones, sorry to tell you but you are being overcharged.

  • 302 Posted by santini98 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am sorry to say tha although I have had Verizon for almost four years I have never gotten a good enough signal to use my phone when I am at home. I hoped after four years that they would have improved their service but since they have not I will be looking into a different compant when my contract runs out.

  • 303 Posted by jarguellojr2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    They All Treat You Very Well when You Are Signing A New Contract, But Once You Sign in For The Two Year Deal That's it No More Nice Customer Service Un till Of Course The End Of The Contract, Then All Of The Sudden They Are Nice Again.

  • 304 Posted by chevy4x4truck1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't understand why US Cellular isn't even mentioned. That company figured out along time ago that customer service is the key to satisfisied customers. Possibly they are viewed as a regional company and not national I would guess. If they were in the equation of things, Verizon would NOT be on the top of the list, sorry.

  • 305 Posted by housley_diane on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    We live in a rural area and the first phone sservice we could get was Verzion but they weren't cheap and the service wasn't great,the customer service wasn't much help either, this went on for 4 years, then friends that lived in my area started talking about Cingular (then AT&T) we even switched phones for an evening to check service in our own areas.After the proof of reception we switched. We get better service,price(3lines now)and the customer service I have only called once and that was just to say Thanks!

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