As more entertainment options provide consumers with a wealth of choices, overall customer satisfaction with pay TV services and Internet service providers (ISPs) is on the decline. Smartphone users, however, are quite happy with their devices.
Consumer satisfaction with information services on whole – including subscription TV, Internet, wireless, fixed land line and computer software, has dropped to its lowest point in seven years, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) study.
While customer satisfaction in other areas has been dropping, satisfaction with cell phones remains unchanged and is the highest for the industry.
ACSI found that satisfaction with information services on the whole has dropped 3.4% to a score of 68.8. That is the lowest level in seven years.
Many industries that make up the sector are also seeing individual declines in satisfaction.
Cable companies are on shaky ground as customer satisfaction decreases.
Time Warner and Comcast faced significant drops after their failed merger. Comcast’s customer satisfaction levels decreased by 10% to a score of 54 while Time Warner earned the lowest score in the study, plummeting 9% to a score of 51.
Verizon’s FiOS, however, took the top position from DIRECTV with a score of 71 compared to Direct’s 68.
AT&T U-verse kept the same score (69). DISH Network and Cablevision Systems tied at 67.
Overall, customer satisfaction for ISPs did not change over the year. Consumers report being frustrated with slow, unreliable broadband service and ever-rising prices.
Even so, some ISPs did improve their standings with AT&T scoring a 69, a 6% increase. Bright House Networks scored a 63 while Frontier Communications and Cablevision Systems scored a 61.
Losers in this year’s study included Cox, down 9% to 58; Charter, down 7% to 57; and Comcast, down 2% to 56.
Overall satisfaction with cell phones was unchanged at 78, which is the highest score for the industry.
Apple and Samsung tied for the lead at 80 with Apple enjoying a 1% rise and Samsung experiencing a 1% decline.
In regard to specific phones, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 took the lead at 86. The Galaxy S5, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and a few others tied at 82.
Researchers also found that fixed-line phone service is no longer much of a focal point with customer satisfaction dropping 5.5% to 69.
In regard to computer software, satisfaction dropped 2.6% to 74 overall. Microsoft still dominates this market at 75.
The overall declines for many segments of the industry are likely prompted by the alternatives available and some industry areas may indeed see downward trends continue, Claes Fornell, ACSI’s chairman and founder says.
