Can You Hear Me Now? – What Customers Want from Mobile Providers

For mobile providers, one of the main concerns is caring for customers, keeping them both satisfied and loyal. But how do you know how happy they are? You can’t just show up, yell “Surprise!” and expect them to welcome you with open arms and a well-built rapport (we haven’t tried but trust us). There’s a lot that goes into mobile customer satisfaction.

Last year, we reached out to over 2,000 mobile subscribers to get their take on their carriers, and what they really think about them.

Overall, we found that most people are generally happy with their current provider. A sigh of relief for everyone, right? Not just yet.

While customer satisfaction is high, customer loyalty is another story. Moreover, there’s more than just better prices and coverage that goes into a person’s buying decision.

Lacking Loyalty

Let’s start with the good news – 91% say they’re happy with their carriers.

The bad news? Nearly half have said they would hop over to another in the next few months or immediately if a penalty was waived for switching. This holds true even if they’ve been with their current providers for over 2 years. Ouch!

So, what drives customer loyalty? Better yet, what do customers want from their mobile service provider?

What the People Want

People want the best of the best when it comes to phones. The newest gadget, settings, bells, and whistles, but what about the carrier with your device? You want to offer the best there is for the people, right?

In our survey, we asked people about the reasons they chose their mobile carrier.

1. A better and faster network
2. Lower monthly costs
3. Better customer service
4. Scam call protection
5. Entertainment bundles

Read that again. Better networks, affordability, and customer service top the list. Surprisingly (or not), scam call protection ranked higher than entertainment bundles.

So why is scam call protection more important to people than a family fun streaming bundle?

Wouldn’t a customer enjoy their latest television binge with a phone going off, interrupting the big twist at the end! Sure, entertainment bundles sound great. But mix-and-match bundles are widely accessible to people everywhere.

Scam call protection, however, isn’t something people can just pick off the shelf at a department store or with an online subscription. It feels like a much better deal for the consumer to gain access to an important service than an easily attainable one.

The Scams are Upon Us

The deal with scam calls has been consistent for the past few years. Since 2019, the number of spam calls generally stayed the same for people. The persistent pestering never stops.

Over 2 out of 3 people reported more unwanted calls than legitimate per day, just about the same as in a previous 2019 survey. In the latest Scam Call Trends, more than $44 BILLION was swindled away by scam calls in the last year!

Thankfully, there has been improvement, with the number of scams dipping down to 75% within the past week (from a whopping 91%).

Making a Difference

Call protection and verification are major factors when it comes to the consumer’s choice of phone providers. Just going off price won’t cut it these days. Better networks and improved customer satisfaction can make or break the customer’s decision. Don’t forget the “hard to find” scam call protection services!

The bottom line is that consumers are searching for a better mobile calling experience. Carriers are getting better with scam call protection and it’s an important part of mobile customer satisfaction for consumers.

And it looks like some providers have caught on, thankfully, seeing as nearly 3 in 4 people said their carriers are offering scam identification features to their phones, doubling what was reported in 2019.

Carrier Satisfaction Report

If you’re curious, check out the rest of our 2021 Carrier Satisfaction Report.

First Orion is a leader in branded communication and call protection solutions. We equip leading carriers with the tools and insights needed to vet scammers and revolutionize the way customers use their phones.