Consumer Reports Survey: AT&T Takes Last Place in Customer Satisfaction
Posted 12/02/2009 at 7:36am
| by Matthew Tilmann

Boy oh boy, it just keeps getting better for the carrier of the beloved iPhone doesn't it?
AppleInsider learned recently that in a customer satisfaction survey via Consumer Reports, AT&T came in last place amongst the "Big 4" carriers in the U.S.
The survey went through more than 50,000 readers spanning 26 cities. Out of those 19 cities AT&T ranked worst. Their overall score was 66, ranking worst in voice service, and average for messaging and web/e-mail. Customer service on the phone and via the Web ranked terribly, as did staff knowledge and whether the customer's problem was even resolved at all.
Verizon came in first ranking well in all categories that were covered: voice, messaging, Web/e-mail and customer service. Their overall score came in at 75.
Taking the silver was T-Mobile with a score of 70. While customers thought the carrier had average service, their customer support was found to be outstanding.
Sprint took home the bronze medal with a score of 67, with average service and below average customer support.
These recent issues has forced AT&T to start up an aggressive PR campaign, giving the carrier a chance to acknowledge customer complaints and address them.
Of course all this comes at a time when AT&T has been trying to fend off attacks from Verizon, who claims that they have a stark contrast in 3G coverage compared to AT&T's. This has sparked rumors of a Verizon-compatible iPhone to debut in 2010.
Despite the frustration with AT&T, the survey did find that 98 percent of users would buy the iPhone again.