AT&T Mobility continues to get hammered in highly publicized consumer surveys, with the latest blow coming from Consumer Reports, which claims that the nation’s No. 2 operator is anything but in the minds of consumers. However, digging into the results a little deeper showed that AT&T Mobility could have some of the pieces in place to improve that rating, or that consumers are perhaps not the best judge of wireless carriers.
(Consumer Reports notes that its survey asks consumers about their “service and customer support experiences with standard service (billed at month’s end) and prepaid providers.”)
According to the publication’s survey of more than 66,000 wireless customers, or less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the nation’s total wireless connections, AT&T Mobility scored the lowest ranking amongst those carriers mentioned. On the bright side, Consumer Cellular, a smaller mobile virtual network operator that uses AT&T Mobility’s network, garnered the highest ranking in the survey.
Adding to the Consumer Cellular luster was a comparison done by Consumer Reports that found the operator provided the best value, though device selection could leave some wanting.
Consumer Cellular “had the best deal most often — in more than one out of three cases,” Consumer Reports noted. “Savings usually ranged from $30 to $40 per month over pricier rivals such as Verizon and AT&T, though you might find a smaller selection of the hottest smart phones with smaller carriers such as Consumer Cellular.”
Smaller players seemed to be the flavor of choice among those surveyed as regional operator U.S. Cellular Corp. managed to come out on top of the rankings, while Sprint Nextel MVNO partner Credo also bested the nationwide operators.
Among the nationwide operators, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel came out on top, with Verizon Wireless noted for its ability to handle text messages and a knowledgeable support staff, while Sprint Nextel was cited for being a better value. T-Mobile USA, which is in the midst of an acquisition attempt by AT&T, came in below the top two but was rated “significantly better” than AT&T Mobility.
For those looking to go sans contract, Consumer Reports’ survey noted that Tracfone (various operators), Straight Talk (Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility), T-Mobile USA and Virgin Mobile USA (Sprint Nextel) all received above-average scores on value and scored higher satisfaction scores than consumers who were on contract plans.
“Our survey indicates that prepaid customers and those with smaller standard service providers are happier overall with their cell-phone service,” Consumer Reports electronics editor Paul Reynolds said. “However, these carriers aren’t for everyone. Some are only regional, and prepaid carriers tend to offer few or no smartphones. A major carrier is still a leading option for many consumers.”
Consumers Reports also found that while two-thirds of those surveyed bought their mobile device at a carrier-owned store, they would be more likely to find lower prices at a warehouse outlet for big-box retailer.
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