“That’s the key finding in a survey released this week by Yankee Group, which reports that 73% of iPhone users are very satisfied with AT&T’s service,” Goldman reports. “That rating compares favorably to how non-iPhone smartphone users feel about AT&T, and even to how non-iPhone users feel about other wireless providers.”
Goldman reports, “The satisfaction rate of AT&T subscribers as a whole is 68%, and only 69% of smartphone users say they are satisfied with their mobile provider, Yankee Group found.”
“The results are surprising, given the pounding AT&T has taken in the media and on the blogosphere about its service-related issues with the iPhone,” Goldman reports. “So what explains Yankee Group’s conclusion that iPhone users’ love AT&T? ‘Consumers transfer the high gloss of their Apple iPhone experience to AT&T,’ says Carl Howe, Yankee Group analyst and author of the study. ‘The iPhone creates a halo effect that rubs off.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Steve Jobs likes to call the iPad “magical,” but he might have an even greater magician on his hands; anything that can make AT&T seem “very satisfactory” to so many users is downright supernatural.
Just goes to show that believing you speak for a majority of people doesn’t mean that you actually do.
I am so feed up with about 3 cities acting like the hole of the USA yes maybe the coverage is bad there but a a hole I have never lost a call with Att and know many people that say the same and where I am verizon can not say the same.
Easy enough for me to be satisfied with AT&T because I live in the Boston area, the one metropolitan area where, in a fairly recent assessment of service, AT&T actually performed better than all other carriers in most metrics. Other places in the country, not so much
It very much confirms what I’ve been saying in these blogs, that the ATT bashing is a result of the bloggers and other tech media being concentrated in San Fran and NYC. If MacDaily New were in Boston it would be a whole different story!
From a (very) satisfied ATT (iPhone) customer (not from San Fran or NYC)…
Because AT&T has educated users who understand issues and are not biased
I’ve had no issues with AT&T.
It’s the 80 – 20 rule.
80% will generally be satisfied and be silent, making 20% of the noise.
20% will not be satisfied and make 80% of the noise.
Works in an astounding variety of circumstances.
BTW, no issues here in RTP-Cary-Raleigh area.
I did experience drop calls when I was at LGA, but then again, EVERYBODY around me was either on the phone or texting or browsing. I can understand that the number of channels is limited and there’s nothing we can do about it.
MDN is a leader of the VERY VOCALl anti AT&T minority. We’ve who have chosen AT&T first and then selected an Apple iPhone after leaving Verizon have known that for years.
This amazes me. Who paid for the survey?
My primary beefs with AT&&T are related to the horrible way they treat customers as opposed to call quality.
The constant AT&T bashing here is out of proportion to the real world that does not waste time reading and posting to these stupid forums like we do. Sometimes it seems MDN is a subsidiary of Verizon, but they have calmed down from a while ago. Thanks for that. My AT&T has been just fine. I am in the 73% group.
Well, here’s a good way to get MDN to put up or shut up: to set up one of its polls asking if we are satisfied ATT customers (if we can trust them that the poll is legitimate!). At least that would cover the subset of MDN readers.
The results might be interesting, and surprising…
I have nothing but compliments for AT&T. I’ve had an iPhone from the beginning, was apprehensive to switch from Verizon and expected a lesser service and company. They have always been better than I expected. No service is perfect. If the imperfection deserved a call, they went far beyond the call of duty.
It depends where you are.
I’m in Southern California (LA/Orange County) and I have never dropped a call with my iPhone 3GS. But when I was up in San Francisco this past June, I experienced a few calls dropped. When I go visit family in rural Vermont, I have no bars at the house (same with Verizon, BTW) though there is a thin area in the backyard where I can get a weak signal.
“I did experience drop calls when I was at LGA, but then again, EVERYBODY around me was either on the phone or texting or browsing. I can understand that the number of channels is limited and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
I was at WWDC in June and when they had the Beer Bash at the park, I pulled out my iPhone. “No Service.” But figure that there were probably about 5000 iPhones in that one block area and I could easily see the network getting overloaded…
A year ago I would had said that AT&T customer service was a couple levels below awful. However, I’ve had 2 recent experiences where AT&T was actually concerned about my satisfaction and was suggesting solutions that were to my benefit. I actually concluded the calls by thanking the CSR for their assistance.
I’ve noticed some improvement in typically poor signal areas, but they still have their work cut out for them to improve their perception of more dropped calls in more places!
We last saw that famous 80/20 rule a couple of weeks ago. It’s the same here; only this time, as MDN thinks, the 20% will think the 80% are full of crap; two weeks ago, the 80% thought the 20% were full of it.
AT&T sucks. They should be embarrassed 28% of their users hate them.
AT&T customer service is great – but there are def. dead spots in NYC. However, I had Sprint and Verizon for years and was always getting false mysterious charges on my bill with both of those companies. Sprint even gave me a bill for a phone number I never had and their customer service refused to help me and letters I wrote to the company were fruitless, so I ended up paying $$$ to get it removed from my credit report. Verizon drummed up tons of false charges on my bill for internet service, yet I didn’t even own an internet capable phone. I’ve had no billing problems with AT&T.
@ Wayne2626; maybe those 3 cities are the “hole” of the USA
@Fuggnut
28% of the people around you hate you as well.
GO SIT DOWN!
Count me in the 73% that has no problem with AT&T.
Where I am, there is zero coverage with verizon where I spend my weekends, yet a full 5 bars with AT&T.
I can’t replicate the anteanagate problem, even let others try with my phone.
I do however have a problem from time to time with the proximity sensor (3-4 times since launch day, turns the speaker on during a call.)
I have had ATT&T for almost a decade now and I have been very with the service.
God Almighty can’t please some people though.
I am thrilled with AT &T. I had a very nice experience at the store when I transferred my account, handed down my flip phone to my son, transferred my wife’s flip phone to AT&T, and got my new iPhone 4. My service is much better now than with T-Mobile. It all depends on your perspective.
ATT FTW. 4ME
Another report to shove up your Fudpacking arses you so called tech bloggers and Apple hating main stream media.