Big Four Wireless Carriers Finish Bottom In Consumer Reports’ Satisfaction Ratings

Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint may be considered the four biggest wireless carriers in the United States in terms of size of customer base and vastness of network coverage. But when it comes to customer satisfaction, the Big Four’s performance leaves much to be desired. Well, at least according to the results of Consumer Reports’ latest survey.

Indeed, the four national wireless brands are ranked around the bottom of Consumer Reports’ customer satisfaction rankings. Interestingly, smaller carriers such as Consumer Cellular, Ting, Credo Mobile, Republic Wireless, and Page Plus Cellular have all rated better than Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

In completing its rankings, Consumer Reports looked into the overall satisfaction that wireless carriers in the United States provided for their respective customers. It also gave favorable and unfavorable ratings for value, as well as specific areas that concern quality of voice calls, text messaging services, data connection speeds, web related issues, and customer service support.

Consumer Reports had polled almost 90,000 customers in July and August earlier this year. And the results show that customers of smaller wireless carriers were far happier with their wireless services compared to those subscribed under any of the Big Four network providers in America. These include customers of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), carriers that use the networks of either Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint in order to serve their subscribers. 

In fact, MVNOs and subsidiaries seem to be faring better than their parent companies. Virgin Mobile (which uses Sprint’s network) for instance, had a better rating than its parent company. The same goes for Ting, which also uses Sprint’s network, as well as T-Mobile’s. Others that got high ratings include Consumer Cellular (ranked first) and Cricket Wireless, both of which make use of AT&T’s network. 

As explained by Consumer Reports, smaller wireless carriers like Consumer Cellular, Ting, Credo Mobile, Republic Wireless, and Page Plug Cellular were able to get high ratings because they offer the best value by combining affordable wireless services and pairing with customer service support services that actually and promptly address mobile users’ needs and concerns. 

Ting was especially delighted with the results of Consumer Reports’ survey. Andrew Moore-Crispin, its Director of Content, took to the wireless carrier’s official blog to celebrate Ting’s achievement, while also offering insights on why smaller carriers are providing better satisfaction ratings compared to the industry leaders such as Verizon Wireless and AT&T. 

Source: Prepaid Phone News