T-Mobile #1 in Retail Sales Satisfaction - J.D. Power

Today J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing information firm that claims to conduct independent and unbiased surveys of customer satisfaction, released results from its most recent study. The 2008 US Wireless Retail Sales Satisfaction Study - Volume 1 measures service-related elements that effect overall subscriber satisfaction. The four leading factors used for ranking are retail sales staff, store display, store facility, and price/promotion.

Study results show that overall customer satisfaction is at its lowest since 2005 and customers now rate store display and price/promotion at its worst. Availability of product information and rebates offered for devices seems to be a hot button for most customers. "Changes in the wireless service industry, such as an increase in the number of new products and services, have made it difficult for carriers to maintain the same level of customer satisfaction since the inaugural study in 2004," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power and Associates. "Overall customer satisfaction with retail service has steadily declined as wireless service becomes increasingly widespread, and as products and services have evolved in complexity."

T-Mobile ranks highest when it comes to customer satisfaction amongst the U.S. carriers, performing especially well in sales staff and store displays. Alltel falls closely behind T-Mobile with Verizon Wireless trailing closely behind them both.

Volume 1 of the 2008 Wireless Retail Sales Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 6,634 wireless customers that completed a retail sales action within the past six months. Respondents were surveyed in September of 2007 and January 2008.