Ease of Online Purchasing Drives Satisfaction with Wireless Purchase Experience, J.D. Power Finds

TORONTO: 11 May 2017 — Overall customer satisfaction with wireless purchases continues to improve year over year as online purchasing becomes easier and customers increasingly use the channel, according to the J.D. Power 2017 Canadian Wireless Purchase Experience Study,^SM released today.

Whether it’s buying a new phone, buying a SIM card, signing up for new wireless service or a myriad of other retail transactions, the in-store channel remains the most widely used purchase channel. However, the percentage of customers making an in-store purchase in the previous six months has declined to 61% from 65% in 2016. Conversely, the percentage of customers going online to make a purchase has risen to 42% from 39% a year ago.

“The online purchase experience continues to get smoother as carriers refine their websites and customers get more accustomed to going online for wireless needs,” said Adrian Chung, director at J.D. Power. “Delivering an experience that delights customers and matches online expectations will continue to grow in importance for customers of all ages.”

Following are some additional findings of the 2017 study:

• Online purchases getting easier and faster: All attribute ratings in the online channel have notably improved from last year, with the highest gains in ease of navigating website (+0.44 points on a 10-point scale) and timeliness of completing the purchase (+0.46 points). Only 23% of customers who made an online purchase had a website problem, an improvement of four percentage points from 2016. The average time to complete an online purchase dropped to 9.6 minutes from 10.1 minutes.
• Age doesn’t matter: Customers in all age brackets (18-34; 35-44; 45-54; 55-64; and 65 or older) are more likely to have made an online purchase compared with a year ago, with the highest incidence among those 18-34 (48%) and the largest year-over-year increase among those 35-44 (to 46% from 40%). Additionally, satisfaction in the online purchase factor improves considerably from 2016 among all age groups, with the largest increase among those 35-44 (+50 points).
• Slow or frozen website leaves customers in the cold: Despite declining to 10% from 12% in 2016, slow or frozen websites remain the most common problem customers experience when shopping online. Overall satisfaction is 735 among customers who experience this problem vs. 794 among those who do not.
• Higher satisfaction encourages bundling: Slightly more than two-thirds (67%) of delighted customers (overall satisfaction score of 900 or higher) say they “definitely will” or “probably will” bundle an additional wireline service with their wireless carrier the next time they are in the market, while 51% of pleased customers (overall satisfaction of 750-899) and 39% of indifferent customers (overall satisfaction of 550-749) say the same thing. Only 28% of displeased customers (overall satisfaction of 549 or less) say the same thing.
• Satisfaction varies with transaction type: Overall satisfaction is notably high among those who signed up for new wireless service (802); purchased a phone (796); or purchased a tablet (796). Overall satisfaction is lowest among those who changed an existing service plan or feature (780).

Study Rankings

Koodo Mobile and Virgin Mobile rank highest in purchase experience satisfaction with a score of 812 each. Videotron (802) ranks third, followed by Freedom Mobile (793).

Overall satisfaction is 784 (on a 1,000-point scale), up 23 points from 2016. Satisfaction in the online purchase factor improves by 41 points from 2016, considerably more improvement than in any other factor.

The Canadian Wireless Purchase Experience Study examines wireless carriers’ performance across sales-related activities in stores, over the phone and online. Satisfaction is measured in six factors: store representative; online purchase; phone purchase; facility; offerings and promotions; and cost of service. The study is based on responses from 6,705 wireless customers and was fielded in September-October 2016 and March 2017.

Media Relations Contacts

Gal Wilder, Cohn & Wolfe, Toronto, Canada; 647-259-3261, gal.wilder@cohnwolfe.ca

Jennifer McCarthy, Cohn & Wolfe, Toronto, Canada; 647-259-3305, jennifer.mccarthy@cohnwolfe.ca

Geno Effler, J.D. Power, Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224, media.relations@jdpa.com

For information about the Canadian Wireless Purchase Experience Study, visit http://canada.jdpower.com/industry/telecom-ca

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules http://www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info