WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Overall wireless customer care performance has improved considerably as customers report shorter hold times and improved rates of problem resolution on the first contact, compared with six months ago, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Wireless Customer Care Performance Study(SM)--Volume 2 released today.

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The study finds that overall customer care performance has improved considerably to 735 on a 1,000-point scale, up 12 points from the first wave of the study released in February. Satisfaction improves across all methods of contact, as a result of increased first-contact problem resolution and shorter wait times. More than three-fourths (76%) of calls to customer service are resolved on the first contact, compared with just 66 percent six months ago. In addition, hold times now average 5.55 minutes, compared with 6.58 minutes in February 2009.

"Satisfaction improves considerably when customers spend less time on hold and more time addressing their problems and inquiries with a customer service representative," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power and Associates. "In order to sustain and improve these levels of satisfaction, carriers must ensure the usefulness of their customer support systems, whether the contact is made over the phone, in a store or online. This includes effectively answering customer inquiries and accurately identifying those customers who need to speak directly with a representative, based on the type and severity of the problem they are trying to resolve."

Now in its seventh year, the semi-annual study provides a detailed report card on how well wireless carriers service their customers in three point-of-contact methods: telephone calls with a customer service representative (CSR) and/or automated response system (ARS); visits to a retail wireless store; and on the Web. Within each contact method, the study measures satisfaction and processing issues such as problem-resolution efficiency and hold-time duration.

Alltel, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless rank highest in wireless customer care performance, in a tie, each with a score of 747. Alltel performs particularly well when contacts are resolved through customer visits to the retail store and ARS, while T-Mobile's strength is in transferring customers from an automated response system to a live service representative. Verizon Wireless performs well with regard to identifying customer problems quickly and resolving them efficiently with service representatives.

"While each of the highest-performing carriers has individual strengths, all are successful in reaching the customer quickly," said Parsons. "All have representatives who demonstrate high levels of courtesy, concern and knowledge, which translates into effective problem resolution and higher satisfaction levels among their customers."

The study also finds several key wireless customer care patterns:

    --  Nearly one-third of contacts pertain to the customer's cost of service.
    --  Among customers who contact their carrier by phone two to three times to
        resolve an issue, 17 percent report they are likely to switch wireless
        carriers in the future. In comparison, just 10 percent of customers are
        likely to switch when the issue is resolved in one contact.
    --  Fifteen percent of contacts result from calls or text messages
        originated by the wireless carrier. Those customers who contact their
        carrier after receiving these communications are more satisfied (744, on
        average), than customers who do not receive proactive contact from their
        carrier (730).

The 2009 Wireless Customer Care Performance Study--Volume 2 is based on responses from more than 12,000 wireless customers who contacted their carrier's customer care department within the past year. The study was fielded January through June 2009.

For more information, to read an article, or view wireless customer care ratings, please visit JDPower.com.

Overall Customer Care Index Ranking

(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Provider Index Score JDPower.com Power Circle Ratings -------- ----------- -------------------------------- For Consumers ------------- Alltel 747 5 T-Mobile 747 5 Verizon Wireless 747 5 Industry Average 735 3 AT&T 730 3 Sprint Nextel 704 2

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

J.D. Power and Associates Media Contacts:

John Tews; Troy, Mich.; (248) 312-4119; john.tews@jdpa.com

Syvetril Perryman; Westlake Village, Calif.; (805) 418-8103; syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates.

SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates