When you work from home, nothing is more important than your internet connection (and a good coffee maker). For years I’ve struggled with a lousy and temperamental connection. Coverage was weak on one side of the house, downloads were painfully slow and resetting my wireless connection was a daily task. Last week I lost my internet access completely and after rebooting, unplugging and cursing at every cable I could find, I called my internet provider. My expectations were low, but the conversation was even more aggravating than I expected. When I hung up, I was 95% committed to canceling my service.
Turns out, I was not alone in my frustration. According to a recent report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) rank at the very bottom in terms of satisfaction for the communication industry. Cost, reliability and slow speeds all seemed to play a role in dropping the satisfaction score 3.1% to 63 (out of a 100).
Interestingly, satisfaction among wireless carriers remained stable with Verizon and T-Mobile both seeing small increases over last year – 3% and 1% respectively. A variety of data plan options and switching incentives may have offset some of the frustrations around data usage fees and slower, more crowded mobile networks. Or wireless carriers may just be riding the wave of our happiness with smartphones. Cell phones overall saw an increase in satisfaction for the second straight year. It’s hard not to be impressed with their rapid innovation, as our “first screen” is quickly becoming our favorite screen. For the first year, Samsung beat out Apple in customer satisfaction, jumping from a score of 74 in 2013 to 81. We’ll see if Apple can take back the crown next year after the iPhone6 is released. Read the full ACSI report here.
My ISP did not end up losing a customer. The saving grace? Fifteen minutes after I hung up with customer service two field service reps stopped by. They spent an hour updating my devices, cables and patiently answering all of my questions. After they left, my internet access was restored and the connectivity issues I had experienced over the years – solved.
Interested in learning more about how T-Mobile engages customers and delivers stellar service? Join us in Orlando, FL at SAPPHIRE NOW 2014 on Thursday, June 5th from 2:30-3:00 to hear Michelle Mattson discuss how T-Mobile is winning the hearts and minds of its customers by delivering real-time responses to requests and in-context offers and promotions. For a complete listing of presentations, check out SAPPHIRE NOW Agenda Builder.
