Wireless Customer Service: Not Over the Hump Yet

Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
  • Survey Results
• Introduction
• Background
  • Complaint History
  • Churn
• Customer Service Programs
  • Cingular Wireless
    • Corporate Focus or Initiative
    • Differentiators
      • Documentation
      • Guarantee
    • Service Features
      • Coverage Maps
      • Response to Customer Complaints
      • Support for Ongoing AT&T Wireless Subscribers
    • Ongoing Challenges
      • "Best Network" Claim
      • Call Handling
      • Reaching Existing Customers
      • Other Customer Care Needs
      • Outsourced and Offshore Customer Care
  • Verizon Wireless
    • Corporate Focus or Initiative
    • Differentiators
    • Service Features
    • Ongoing Challenges
      • Outsourced and Offshore Customer Care
      • Trends
      • Measuring Progress
  • Sprint Nextel
    • Corporate Focus or Initiatives
    • Differentiators
    • Service Features
    • Ongoing Challenges
      • Outsourced and Offshore Customer Care
      • Measuring Progress
  • T-Mobile
    • The "CEO Philosophy"
    • Differentiating via Quality of Customer Service
      • Putting CSRs First
      • Interactive Voice Response
      • Specialized Handset Support
    • Service Highlights
    • Leading Call Topics
    • Customer Feedback
    • Trends
    • Outsourced and Offshore Customer Care
• The Subscriber Perspective
  • In-Stat Survey Results
    • Age
    • Choice of Service Provider
    • Overall Customer Satisfaction
    • Customer Satisfaction with Customer Service
    • Customer Service Strengths and Weaknesses
    • Churn Potential
• Conclusions
• Appendix 1: Methodology
• Appendix 2: Consumer Mobility Survey Questions

List of Tables

• Table 1. Historical and Recent Churn Rates
• Table 2. Summary Satisfaction and Churn Survey Results ("Somewhat Satisfied" Omitted)
• Table 3. Wireless Operator Subscribers and Market Share (Units in Millions)
• Table 4 Complaints to FCC, 1Q04 through 1Q05
• Table 5. Complaints to FCC per 10,000 Subscribers, 2003-2004, by Operator
• Table 6. Historical and Recent Churn Rates
• Table 7. 2004 Summary Financial and Operational Figures for Companies Studied
• Table 8. Verizon Wireless Customer Service Transaction Volumes
• Table 9. Which of the Following Describes Your Age Range?
• Table 10. Which Wireless Telephone Company Provides the Service for the Wireless Phone You Use?
• Table 11. Please Rate Your Overall Satisfaction with Your Current Wireless Provider Considering Reliability of Service, Value for the Money, Quality of Customer Service, and Any Other Factors Important to You
• Table 12. Overall Customer Satisfaction, by Length of Subscribership
• Table 13. Using a "1-5" Scale, Where a "1" Means Poor and a "5" means Excellent, What is Your Opinion of Your Wireless Telephone Company in the Area of Customer Service?
• Table 14. Ratings of Customer Service, by Length of Subscribership
• Table 15. Top Two Customer Service Strengths
• Table 16. Two Greatest Needs for Customer Service Improvement
• Table 17. Four Weakest Customer Service Areas Identified by Dissatisfied or Marginally Satisfied Customers
• Table 18. How Likely are You to Switch to a New Wireless Telephone Company in the Next 12 Months?
• Table 19. Intent to Switch Service Providers, by Length of Subscription

List of Figures

• Figure 1. Average Churn Trend and Trend per Company, 2002-1Q05
• Figure 2. Complaint Trend, 1Q04 through 1Q05
• Figure 3. Historical Churn Trend, 2002 to 1Q05
• Figure 4. Cingular Coverage Map, One-Mile Resolution
• Figure 5. Verizon Wireless Coverage Map, Closest Resolution
• Figure 6. The Sprint Transformation
• Figure 7. T-Mobile Coverage Map, Closest Resolution
• Figure 8. Ratings of Customer Service by Length of Subscribership
• Figure 9. Customer Service Strength and Weakness Responses, by Service Element
• Figure 10. Intent to Switch Service Providers, Illustrated by Length of Subscription
• Figure 11. Churn Potential by Carrier