I'm often curious as to what consumers think about their wireless service.  Sure, official surveys aren't the best method of tracking customer satisfaction, but it gives an indicator as to the general consensus across the nation.  To that end, Consumer Reports published a survey in which 50,000 users were polled in 26 cities regarding their overall wireless experience.  For the most part, the numbers weren't surprising.

Taking the first place prize was Verizon Wireless with a score of 75.  The nation's largest wireless carrier scored highly across the voice, messaging, web/e-mail, and customer service categories.  T-Mobile ranked second, with a score of 70.  Customers polled thought that the service was average, but customer support was billed as fantastic.  Sprint came in third with a score of 67, citing average service and lower than normal customer service when it came to resolving billing issues and other problems.

AT&T came in last with a score of 66, with poor scores in voice service and customer service via telephone, internet, and in retail stores.  The nation's second largest wireless carrier has been under intense pressure to build out their 3G coverage map and improve overall call quality thanks to Verizon's recent "map for that" advertising campaign.  Despite AT&T's relatively poor customer service numbers, the company's wireless unit continues to expand.  Thanks to the popularity of Apple's iPhone, AT&T gained 1.4 million postpaid customers in the third quarter.  What's more, the survey found that 99 percent of iPhone users were satisfied with their device, and 98 percent would buy the handset again. 

I'm interested in hearing from you - what's your carrier of choice, and why?  Tell me your stories in the comments section.

Via: AppleInsider