Overall customer satisfaction with US mobile prepaid service providers has increased since 2006, according to a report from J.D. Power and Associates. The study has measured customer satisfaction with current prepaid mobile service across seven key dimensions including call quality with 24 percent, company image with 19 percent, cost of service with 17 percent; account management with 15 percent; initial activation with 11 percent; service plan options and customer service with 8 percent and 6 percent respectively. Overall satisfaction improves by 10 index points since 2006 to 727 on a 1,000-point scale. In particular, the study finds that the availability of new services and more attractive pricing options has contributed to the industry-wide increase. The report also includes call quality improvement by 14 index points since 2006, particularly regarding connection and quality-related issues such as the perceived size of the local calling area and the ability to place or receive calls inside buildings. Prepaid users spend an average of USD 38 when purchasing additional airtime. Prepaid customers report using 218 minutes per month—less than one-half as much as postpaid customers, who average 528 minutes per month. Approximately 59 percent of prepaid phones that are prepackaged with minutes are purchased from retail stores, while an additional 25 percent of customers report purchasing a prepackaged phone via the internet. Approximately 16 percent of customers purchase activated minutes cards separately from their mobile phones. Virgin Mobile ranks highest in prepaid mobile satisfaction for a second consecutive year followed by AT&T GoPhone, Boost Mobile and T-Mobile To Go.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News