Why Do People Switch From One Wireless Carrier To Another?

The reason may be the quality of network. Or maybe the cost. But the fact of the matter is: consumers do switch from one mobile carrier to another. But if you think that people are doing because they are not happy with the customer service, you may be wrong. At least according to recent surveys conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). 

Based on CIRP's findings, they learned that switching carriers happens, but not a lot. CIRP further qualified that four out of five subscribers opt to remain with their current carriers when they upgrade to a new handset.

Interestingly, CIRP's surveys suggest that people are more likely to change phone brands or mobile operating systems than switch carriers. Having said that, it appears that not all carriers command the same amount of loyalty.

According to CIRP co-founder Josh Lowitz, their findings suggest that Verizon Wireless and AT&T have the most loyal subscribers. As for T-Mobile and Sprint -- well, these carriers may need to work more on retaining their subscribers.

Customers of Verizon Wireless and AT&T were asked by CIRP and they mostly stated that they were satisfied with the quality of their carrier's network. However, they think that the plans offered by the two biggest wireless carriers in the United States are too pricey.

As for T-mobile's customers, they agree that the carrier's pricing is good, but unfortunately can not say the same for the quality of its network. Sprint's customers, on the other hand, said they like the inclusions of Sprint's plans, especially with regards to unlimited data and pricing structure for families/friends.

Trying to steal your competitor's customers is standard practice in the mobile industry. For the past year, Sprint has been very active in offering special deals that encourage customers to switch from their carriers onto Sprint. The recent rollover data war between AT&T and T-Mobile is further proof of the near-desperate attempts by carriers to attract and retain their respective customers.

Still, customers make the switch anyway. Cost is a prevailing factor, especially for former Verizon Wireless and AT&T customers who just found their old plans just a tad too expensive for their wireless needs. Through CIRP's surveys, they learned that 50 percent of customers who switch from Verizon or AT&T identified cost as the reason, compared with less than 40 percent for other carriers. With former T-Mobile and Sprint customers, almost 40 percent of them left because they were not satisfied with the quality of the network.

What about bad customer service? Well, CIRP's findings suggest that people are not that swayed by how good or bad a carrier's customer service is. 

CIRP collected its data from 2,000 US users who activated a brand new or used mobile device in the 90 days preceding four quarterly surveys conducted from October 2013 until September 2014.