JD Power rates U.S. cell phone providers

JD Power rates U.S. cell phone providers

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Published on: 09 September, 2008 by PhoneArena Team

JD Power rates U.S. cell phone providers

JD Power and Associates is famous for ranking many different types of consumer products. Up today is their scoring of US based cell phone providers. This round’s study included more than 22,000 wireless customers, representing every region of the country. They were asked about their experience with the seven deadly sins of bad wireless service: dropped calls; static/interference; failed connection on the first try; voice distortion; echoes; no immediate voice mail notification; and no immediate text message notification.

Northeast Region: Verizon Wireless ranks highest, with fewer customer-reported problems in dropped calls, initial connections and static/interference compared with the regional average. AT&T came in 2nd, with Sprint and T-Mobile tied in 3rd place.

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Mid-Atlantic Region: Verizon Wireless ranks highest for an eighth consecutive time, with fewer customer-reported problems regarding initial connections compared with the regional average. AT&T is in 2nd place, with Sprint and T-Mobile in 3rd.

Southeast Region: Alltel ranks highest in the region, with customers reporting fewer problems than the regional average in dropped calls and voice distortion. Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile tied for 2nd, and Sprint and AT&T tied for last.

North Central Region: U.S. Cellular and Alltel rank highest in a tie. U.S. Cellular customers report fewer problems in dropped calls, static/interference, echoes, voice distortion and late voice message notifications. Alltel customers experience fewer problems with dropped calls, initial connections, static/interference and voice distortion compared with the regional average. Verizon Wireless came in a close 2rd, with AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile tied in 3rd place.

Southwest Region: Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless tie to rank highest in the region. Sprint Nextel customers report fewer problems regarding initial connections. Verizon Wireless customers experience fewer problems with dropped calls, static/interference, voice distortion and failed voice message notifications compared with the regional average. In 2nd place is T-Mobile, with last palce going to Alltel and AT&T.

West Region: Verizon Wireless ranks highest in the region, with customers reporting fewer problems in dropped calls, initial connections, static/interference, echoes and voice distortion than the regional average. In 2nd comes little-known Qwest, 3rd is a tie for Alltel and Sprint, and bringing up the rear is T-Mobile and AT&T.

Customer Care: Forty-nine percent of wireless customers have contacted the customer care service center for assistance within the past year—an increase from 47 percent reported six months ago. Additionally, among customers who contacted the service department, 34 percent did so due to service/equipment issues. Verizon Wireless ranks highest in wireless customer care performance with an index score of 103, followed by Alltel (102), T-Mobile (100) and AT&T (97). Specifically, customers report that Verizon Wireless performs particularly well in resolving problems in one contact.

“The fact that Verizon Wireless performs well in resolving issues with one contact is particularly noteworthy,” said Parsons. “Overall customer care performance is three times higher among customers whose issues were resolved in one contact over the phone, compared with those who had to contact their provider more than once for the same issue.”

source: JD Power

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1.
Verizon Wireless Rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
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2.
yay! U.S. Cellular beats Alltel
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9.
If I am reading correctly... They tied.. Where did you pull this warped info from?
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3.
verizon wireless
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4.
what do you think of thst report at&t loves
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5.
lol see a part of this is where you are at. I'm in Phx and Sprint does me just fine but looks like I'd be a complainer if I lived in the East. I would hope vzw would have better service based on their rate plans. If you are going to pay more better get better service for your money. I hope now Att can drop that fewest dropped calls slogan.
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17.
If you read their claim it's based on WORLDWIDE coverage. SO no, they will probably not drop it because based on worldwide coverage it's a valid claim. Get your facts straight moron.
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30.
Umm... who cares about WORLDWIDE coverage when most of us spend 95% of our time in America? If someone is dumb enough to fall for that lame slogan, then they deserve the poor service they get. It's the same with "more bars in more places." Why do I care if they get coverage in places that I am not going to be. In America, where it counts, both their slogans are null.
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33.
Forget about worldwide and focus on America, just as you just said. I live in Phoenix too and have Verizon Wireless. I happen to know for a fact that both Sprint and Alltell have great Market coverage IN THIS AREA. Try driving outside of phoenix and you will find out that Sprint & Alltel just won't work as well or in nearly as many places as Verizon Wireless will and does. And although you may not travel outside of a 30 mile radius...there are over 300 million people in this country and I'm pretty sure they all want great coverage. The majority can have it with Verizon Wireless as it has the most coverage of any wireless provider in this country.
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35.
I think you got me wrong, I have VZW as well. My comment was mocking AT&T's slogans. There is no doubt in my mind that VZW is the best network in America.
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6.
Best network + best customer service + (now) great phones (HTC Touch Diamond, Pro, Samsung Omnia) = #1...Verizon Wireless. End of discussion. No more debate. J.D. Power has spoken.
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8.
Omnia? Diamond Pro?
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18.
Lol you can't pay me to say Verizon has great phones. The Samsung OMNIA is already available on AT&T, just without 3g. That's the beauty with GSM phones, doesn't matter where they're released as long as they have a compatible radio they'll work in the US.

They're just now getting a phone worth being on Verizon for in the Touch Pro, but as we all know Verizon nickels and dimes everything so have fun paying more than you would on another carrier.

Other than those two phones what else is there that doesn't have a better counterpart?
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32.
If you call "the beauty with GSM phones" the ability to take top notch European phones and use them on a sub par network, then your perception of beauty is quite flawed. I am not sure if you are aware, most likely not, but you can do the same with Verizon. If you can afford to purchase a CDMA phone from South Korea (their phones are as good, if not better than European phones), then you can activate it on the best network in America (as per JD Power). As long as VZW approves the device of course. Also, VZW is getting the Diamond and Pro as well as the Bold and Storm from Blackberry, which are all noteworthy device in my opinion.
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7.
Ditto. Can you hear me now?
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10.
the beauty of it all is, verizon wins...

oh.. and verizon buys alltell and rural.
so verizon wnis more... yay verizon.
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11.
VZW WINRAR
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12.
mmmm seems to me this study as done with only about 22000 people.............when there are millions who use cell phones..they only took a sampling ..and yes i use Sprint
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13.
lol 22000 ppl sounds like that would be enough
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16.
how is 22,000 people enough when Verizon and AT&T combined have about 140 MILLION customers?!?!?!
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38.
Did you read the article?? It's a sampling of ALL regions of the country...not like they posted a sign saying "who wants to rate their carrier??" How do you think they poll for presidential elections or complete ANY survey in this country?? A random sampling that represents all varieties and areas of the American People. NOT EVEN 140 MILLION PEOPLE VOTED IN THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION and you want that many in a cell phone carrier survey??? GET REAL LOL!!
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