AT&T outscored rival carriers to earn a top grade for customer support for
the first time ever in a J.D. Power study.
Released Thursday, the study asked wireless users to rate their carriers for
customer care. AT&T took home a score of 795 out of 1,000, ranking well in
the area of both walk-in and online support. Verizon Wireless came in second
with a score of 790.
Among non-contract carriers, MetroPCS was ranked No. 1 with a score of 770,
followed by Cricket with 750.
Overall, the wireless industry is providing solid support in the eyes of
those polled by J.D. Power. Satisfaction with customer care from contract
carriers bounced to 786, a 31-point jump over last year and its highest
level since 2009. The Satisfaction level for non-contract carriers rose to
732, an increase of 34 points from just six months ago.
Online support, particularly the chat function, is proving more popular.
Among wireless subscribers who hopped online to solve their problem, 42
percent said they used their carrier's chat feature. Online satisfaction was
highest among those who used the chat feature as compared with other
avenues of support.
"The higher levels of satisfaction with online chat are partially due to the
efficiency and immediacy of the experience, particularly with service
issues or questions that are easier to resolve in this environment, such as
billing or service/device questions pertaining to upgrades," Kirk Parsons,
senior director of the telecom services practice at J.D. Power, said in a
statement.
J.D. Power's report measured customer care across different channels,
including online, walk-in, phone support with a tech rep, and automated
response systems. Conducted from January through June 2013, the survey
reached 7,373 contract customers and 3,235 non-contract customers.
