iPhone Adoption Uncovers AT&T’s Flaws

While it was certainly a coup for AT&T to get the exclusive rights to the Apple iPhone, the agreement hasn’t been entirely positive for the wireless giant. Consumers who flocked to AT&T to use the device were disappointed with the quality of the service, according to new findings from YouGov’s BrandIndex.
 
AT&T’s perception among adults over the age of 18 has steadily eroded throughout the summer, while Verizon Wireless has retained its standing, per an online poll of 5,000 consumers.
 
Consumers were asked to rate quality, value, satisfaction, recommendation, reputation and impression to generate an overall index score. Thanks to drops in the quality (“Is it high quality or low quality?”) and recommendation (“Would you recommend the brand to a friend?”) rankings, AT&T’s index score fell to 14.6 as of Sept. 10. That was down from 18.3 on June 16 and is considered a substantial drop for this type of index, per YouGov.
 
“For AT&T, it’s beginning to look for a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’ with its overloaded network and dropped calls,” said YouGov svp Ted Marzilli. “While there are no other options for iPhone users, Blackberry’s new ultra-competitive products and two-for-one deals at Verizon Wireless may make both Apple and AT&T vulnerable to ‘iPhone flown.'”
 
Verizon Wireless’ index score on Sept. 10 was 21.2, which is consistent with its rankings throughout the year.
 
AT&T rep Jenny Bridges said the survey is off base. “We continue to have low churn rates, which can be attributed to the fact that our customers are pleased with the services we’re providing them,” she said. “We care about the experience customers have with AT&T. That’s why we continue to invest billions of dollars a year in making network improvements, including the continued launch of our 3G wireless services in markets across the U.S. and the launch of HSPA 7.2 in six major markets by the end of this year.”