Rating the Carriers: Customer Service Showdown

[ComicalMoodyDan]

Laptop Mag has done a customer service test on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. This article is too long to read so please click on the link below to read the article.

Rating the Carriers: Customer Service Showdown

[larry]

So Sprint ties Verizon for 2nd place while T-Mobile takes 1st place. I like this type of recent, real world experience testing better than other surveys such as JD Power who don't give you many details on how they do their surveys. Basing results off of old customer perception and outdated information is not a good way. IMO

[bobolito]

I agree with Larry. It shows the difference between a well done survey and a pack of recycled data.

[Matt]

Really? The sample size for each of these ratings is six - two calls to CS, two trips to the store, and two attempts to perform self-help online. IMO, this isn't worth much at all. How is a trip to two stores representative of the 1000 stores most of the big 4 carriers have?

[larry]

What I meant was I like a test that is current and does actual field testing methods better than one that's based off of a questionnaire that's sent to people who might not even be a current customer of that carrier. Obviously no test is really worth much but I still like this method better, even if it's only based on a very small sampling.

[Mobile Mike]

I found this article very interesting. I liked the way they tested the three different methods of customer service: store, online, and phone. Though it may not have been the most scientifically thorough test, it was more realistic to an actual customer experience I've read in a while.

Since people run stores and answer phones, you're going to get all types, as humans are, well, human...And experiences will vary.

In my experience, I've never had a problem with Verizon or T-Mobile customer service, but then again I have a better understanding of cell phones and service than most people do (all of us here are in this boat), so I don't have major billing issues because I pay attention to their rules and regulations.

The one time I misunderstood something with T-Mobile (about their call forwarding), the rep was kind enough to give me bonus minutes to wipe-out my small overage. Great CS as far as I'm concerned.

I didn't have any issues with Nextel (Sprint) CS when I had them back in 2006, but I never had to call for anything.

I had issues with AT&T (Cingular) back in 2005, but none when I had them in 2008 and early 2009.

In any case, it was nice to see something different than the old JD Powers stuff that comes out so often.

[ComicalMoodyDan]

Well I've had pretty much every carrier through out the years and experienced most of the customer service. It's funny how these ratings really are close to what I would grade the major four as well. I have to say that out of in store customer care AT&T is by far the worst I've ever experienced. My local AT&T Wireless store couldn't even figure out how to check an employee discount for me! Such a simple question that Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile easily answered but nobody in the AT&T store could figure out how to check to that.