Sprint Nextel climbs to second place in J.D. Power survey on retail experience: T-Mobile USA hangs onto first place, Verizon Wireless drops to last

Sprint Nextel Corp.’s (S) efforts to improve its customers’ experience may be paying off, as the carrier pulled into second place in J.D. Power and Associates semi-annual study of the wireless retail sales satisfaction experience. Verizon Wireless (VZ), which traditionally performs well in J.D. Power surveys, dropped to last place among nationwide operators.
T-Mobile USA Inc. (DTEGY) received top honors for the third straight time, according to J.D. Power, with an overall retail sales index ranking of 744. Sprint Nextel moved from last place among nationwide operators six months ago to second place, just one point shy of first, with a score of 743. The industry average score was 734 points. AT&T Mobility, (T) which scored 733 points, held steady in third place, and Verizon Wireless, which scored 729 points, fell to last place. Overall retail satisfaction is up from six months ago, when T-Mobile USA’s top rank came from a score of 723.
The study ranks overall customer satisfaction on four factors: sales staff, which account for nearly half of the score; price and promotions; store facility; and store display.
Sales pressure, and poor treatment from sales staff, can drop a score considerably, J.D. Power said, compared to crowded stores or an insufficient number of sales staff, which have less of an impact on the customer experience.
“While only 16% of wireless customers report experiencing pressure during the sales transaction process, the financial impact may be considerable,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power and Associates. “Customers who are pressured in some way are more than twice as likely to switch to another wireless provider, compared with customers who are not subject to any unnecessary sales pressure.”
The study found it is increasingly important for wireless retail salespeople to explain how the device operates and explain monthly service charges, including data charges, especially as smart-phone adoption increases. Nearly 75% of salespeople did explain how to operate the device, while nearly two-thirds explained data and other extra fees that may apply to customers.
Nearly 8,000 people were questioned for the study.