AT&T’s customer service was named the worst among U.S. wireless carriers in 2010, according to a survey released Monday by Consumer Reports. The carrier that’s home to the fabled iPhone earned the worst marks in eight of the nine categories graded by the magazine, including overall value, voice service, data service, phone support, staff knowledge and resolution of issues.
Maybe that’s why the rush of iPhone games hasn’t seemed to make much of a dent in the mobile-gaming sales scene as of late. If people aren’t happy with the data service from the now-exclusive iPhone carrier, they’re not likely to pickup a game that relies on data transfers. The question now becomes: will iPhone games see a new resurgence in January, when Verizon is reported to be stocking the iPhone on its shelves, too?
That could very well be, although Verizon didn’t get top marks among the wireless carriers surveyed by Consumer Reports. AT&T definitely trailed all others, being referred to in the report as being “now the worst carrier” and suffering through the unfortunate label of being the only U.S. wireless carrier whose scores dropped “significantly” from last year. Verizon’s scores, meanwhile, rated a full 14 percentage points higher than AT&T’s (74 compared to 60), but they were still below the 82 percent score earned by U.S. Cellular.
Still, the iPhone gaming issue is bound to arise, particularly since more than half of the AT&T customers surveyed reported owning an iPhone yet were dissatisfied with AT&T’s data service. When Verizon gets the iPhone in early 2011, and mobile games can be played on a data network that’s perceived to be better and has a newly 4G option, iPhone apps and games may see renewed sales rates.
To AT&T’s credit, the company said in an interview with CNN Money that it’s working on solutions.
“We take this seriously and we continually look for new ways to improve the customer experience,” said Fletcher Cook, spokesman for AT&T.
However, Consumer Reports said in a prepared statement that “…an iPhone from Verizon Wireless…could indeed be good news for iPhone fans.”
Not exactly the resounding endorsement for AT&T’s efforts that the carrier might have hoped for…. Are you an iPhone gamer? Have you found gaming on their 3G network good, bad or average? Sound off on the boards, and let us know whether you’re more likely to take advantage of all those iPhone games once the iPhone goes to another wireless network.
