Sprint ranked worst in consumer satisfaction, Verizon stays on top

Sprint has slumped in consumer satisfaction. The nation’s third-largest carrier in terms of subscribers has its users less happy than before amidst a massive transition to 4G LTE. Sprint had "dismal marks" in value, voice, text messaging, and 4G reliability, according to a Consumer Reports' survey.

"While the findings in the Consumer Reports' survey are disappointing, they're not necessarily surprising," a Sprint representative said. "We've asked customers during the past year to 'pardon our dust' as we build out and upgrade our network."

Sprint held the number two position after Verizon Wireless just last year, and customer satisfaction has been chief executive Dan Hesse’s topmost priority, but clearly the Nextel shutdown and the transition to 4G LTE take their toll. The carrier however says it expects the issues with its network to be resolved by next year.

Last month, Sprint demonstrated its Spark high-speed 4G LTE service and it has just launched the 5.9” HTC One max, the first device with support for the speedier service.

Consumer Reports rating once again puts Verizon Wireless on top with customer satisfaction as the U.S. biggest carrier has the largest 4G LTE network, but it has its own fair share of issues in the big metros like San Francisco and New York.

AT&T and T-Mobile were ranked in the middle. AT&T received recognition for having the most reliable 4G LTE network. T-Mobile on its part has quickly rolled out a massive 4G LTE network on top of its existing HSPA+ (that it also markets as 4G).

Interestingly, the survey concludes that consumers are overpaying for data. 38% of all consumers use less than half their monthly data allowance. Speaking of allowances, Sprint and T-Mobile remain the only carriers to offer unlimited data plans whereas AT&T and Verizon cap monthly usage.

Regional carriers traditionally had a strong showing as their limited outreach is obviously allowing them to have better customer satisfaction ratings.

source: Consumer Reports via CNET