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T-Mobile‘s rivals seemingly can’t hold a candle to it when it comes to the retail experience. According to data and analytics firm J.D. Power, T-Mobile has provided the best consumer retail experience among the big three wireless network operators in the US for six consecutive years.
J.D. Power recently published Volume 2 of its 2023 US Wireless Retail Experience Study, formerly called Wireless Purchase Experience Studies. The bi-annual study aims to determine customer satisfaction in the wireless retail industry. The firm surveys thousands of Americans to find which wireless provider does the best in explaining the latest network technology, bill contents, offers and promotions, and other details to its customers.
The latest report evaluates the retail performance of T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon between January and June 2023. T-Mobile topped the chart with a customer satisfaction score of 842 out of 1,000. AT&T (824) and Verizon (821) followed distantly, scoring lower than the overall average of 828. But that isn’t the end of the story. The firm states that T-Mobile has remained at the top for 12 volumes of the bi-annual study on the trot.
In other words, the self-proclaimed Un-carrier has topped this chart since mid-2017, i.e. for the past six years. That’s some dominance from T-Mobile, though AT&T and Verizon are coming at it fast. They have closed the gap to T-Mobile’s customer satisfaction score since J.D. Power published Volume 1 of its 2023 report. The previous scores were 803 (T-Mobile), 753 (AT&T), and 748 (Verizon).
“The in-store wireless purchase experience provides the customer with the hands-on experience they are looking for before purchasing their devices or other products,” said Ian Greenblatt, J.D. Power’s managing director. “Wireless retailers that focus on the holistic approach and prioritize this experience — therefore adding value — will have an advantage over their competition.”
Cricket and Consumer Cellular top the charts for MVNOs
J.D. Power’s study also covers MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators), which don’t own wireless network infrastructures and provide cellular services over the infrastructures of the likes of T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon, paying them a fee. Cricket topped the customer satisfaction chart among full-service MVNOs with a score of 856. Metro by T-Mobile (853), Xfinity Mobile (850), Spectrum Mobile (837), and Boost Mobile (826) followed Cricket.
Among value MVNOs, the firm ranked Consumer Cellular at the top. Its score of 895 was notably higher than that of Mint Mobile (877), Google Fi Wireless (865), Straight Talk Wireless (837), and Tracfone (813). J.D. Power says these scores are based on responses from 12,478 wireless customers surveyed during the first six months of the year. It evaluated customer satisfaction across two retail aspects: cost and promotions and the purchase process.
