T-Mobile Sweeps All Six Regions In JD Power Survey

T-Mobile continued its impressive run atop the semi-annual JD Power & Associates' U.S. Wireless Regional Customer Satisfaction Index Study, published in April; for the fifth consecutive reporting period, T-Mobile ranked the highest in all six regional voting blocks. The results are based on the two most recent reporting waves, which were conducted in September 2006 and January 2007, and include input from over 25,000 cell phone users.

On a general level, the latest survey indicates a shift in customer concerns, as the "call performance and reliability" element of the overall score increased in importance, from 26% to 32%. The other five categories - brand image, cost of service, service plan options, billing, and customer service - contributed between 17% and 11%, respectively, of the ultimate tally. Notably, the importance of customer service actually dropped six percentage points, and is currently the least critical element of the calculation.

T-Mobile occupies the top spot in all six regions - defined as Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, Southwest, and West - thanks to its across-the-board strength in cost of service, billing, and customer care. T-Mobile is particularly strong in the Southwest region, where it ranked first in five of the six categories used to determine customer satisfaction. Verizon Wireless earned a tie for first place in three regions, relying heavily on high marks in call quality and brand image.

The results, by region:

• Northeast: T-Mobile
• Mid-Atlantic: T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless
• Southeast: Alltel, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless
• North Central: AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon Wireless
• Southwest: T-Mobile
• West: T-Mobile

The study, the first of two scheduled for 2007, points to the continued importance of call quality and network reliability; JD Power & Associates found that 31% of all customer service calls are complaints concerning call quality issues like dropped calls and initial disconnects. It's not surprising, then, that the major carriers' advertising efforts tend to tout call quality and network coverage as they attempt to separate themselves from the field.

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