Survey: Wireless product demo boosts satisfaction

Westlake Village, Calif. - When retail sales representatives demonstrate cell phone or tablet service and features to wireless customers prior to purchase, satisfaction improves considerably and the propensity to visit the same retailer again double. According to the J.D. Power 2014 Wireless Purchase Experience Full-Service Study — Volume 2 and the J.D. Power 2014 Wireless Purchase Experience Non-Contract Study — Volume 2, overall satisfaction is significantly higher among customers whose sales representative offers a device demonstration (832 on a 1,000-point scale) than among those who are not offered a demonstration during a store visit (711).



Other findings include:



• More than half (55%) of wireless customers indicate that they made a purchase from their carrier during the past six months. Of those making a purchase, 66% make their purchase in a store, while 24% purchase online and 10% call their carrier.



• Among customers who make their purchase in a store, 61% indicate that their sales representative demonstrated or explained the features on the devices they considered.



• Nearly one-half (46%) of customers who receive a device demonstration during their in-store sales visit say they "definitely will" shop at the same retailer again, compared with just 23% of those who do not receive a demonstration.



• Providing a demonstration is an opportunity for carriers to build loyalty among customers, as 37% of customers who receive a demonstration say they "definitely will not" switch their carrier, compared with 26% of those who do not receive a demonstration.



• Satisfaction with sales representatives who explain or demonstrate a device's operation during the point of sale is 843, compared with just 693 when representatives fail to offer a demonstration.



• On average, sales representatives spend approximately eight minutes demonstrating how to operate a new device. Total in-store transaction time among customers who receive a demonstration from their sales representative is less than among those who are not given a demonstration (54.6 minutes vs. 56.1 minutes, respectively).



Overall satisfaction among wireless full-service customers who made a recent sales transaction is 792 (on a 1,000-point scale) and is 783 among non-contract wireless customers. AT&T ranks highest among full-service carriers, with an overall score of 801, followed closely by T-Mobile with a score of 796. Boost Mobile (800) ranks highest among non-contract carriers, followed by MetroPCS (793) and Virgin Mobile (791).