Consumers in the US are more satisfied with DirectV, AT&T U-verse and Verizon FIOS than with the traditional cable operators.
Scores for network performance and reliability have improved, the number of households connected to digital service has grown and satisfaction has increased across wireline offerings, according to studies from J.D. Power.
The annual wireline studies evaluate residential customers’ experiences with TV, Internet and phone services in four regions: East, South, North Central and West. The ISP and telephone studies measure customer satisfaction across five factors: network performance and reliability; cost of service; billing; communication; and customer service. The TV study measures satisfaction in those same five factors plus another one, programming. Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale.
In 2015, 25% of US households with internet service report having a fiber optic connection, which may also provide TV and internet service, a 5 percentage point increase from 2013 (20%). At the same time, overall satisfaction with these wireline services has increased as well. For example, customer satisfaction with television service has increased by a significant 24 points to 723 in 2015 from 699 in 2013. The main reason for the overall increase has been a 39-point rise in satisfaction in the network performance and reliability factor during the period.
“The ability to provide a high-quality experience with all wireline services is paramount, as performance and reliability is the most critical driver of overall satisfaction,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director and technology, media & telecom practice leader at J.D. Power.
“The fact that households continue to choose to upgrade their wireline connection to digital service is a testament to its improved performance and benefits, such as higher quality video and faster Internet speeds.”
According to Parsons, as expectations regarding usage, performance quality and reliability continue to evolve, companies that understand these dynamics will be better positioned to provide a more satisfying customer experience, which can lead to higher levels of overall satisfaction and higher rates of retention, advocacy and return on investment.
DirecTV (771) ranks highest in TV customer satisfaction in the East region; AT&T U-verse and DirecTV (750) rank highest (in a tie) in the North Central region; Verizon FiOS (777) ranks highest in the South region; and DISH Network (761) ranks highest in the West region.
Overall satisfaction with television service providers has increased by 12 points to 723 in 2015 from 711 in 2014.
Satisfaction with network performance and reliability has improved to 765 in 2015, an increase of 22 points from 2014. This follows a 17-point increase between 2014 and 2013.
53% of highly satisfied residential television customers (overall satisfaction scores of 900 or higher) say they “definitely will not” switch providers in the next 12 months, compared with only 10% of dissatisfied customers (scores below 550) who say the same.
