There was a significant increase in consumer loyalty to mobile phone operators over the past year, despite a drop in customer satisfaction and the entry of Meteor into the market, a new survey shows.
The results also reflect a substantial drop in expectations among consumers here and that the perceived value of Irish mobile services remains relatively low.
The European Customer Satisfaction Index on Mobile Phones 2001 published this week shows the Republic dropped to 70 index points, down from 71 in 2000, in terms of customer satisfaction. This placed it in the middle of European rankings, which were headed by Finnish consumers with a score of 75.
Customer loyalty in the mobile sector increased from 65 to 75 index points, reflecting a shift in strategy by operators to customer retention rather than acquisition. But customer expectations fell to 73 points, from 79 points recorded last year.
Digifone scored a satisfaction rate of 71 index points. Eircell Vodafone scored 70 points and Meteor 61. A Meteor spokesman said the results were compiled only six months after its service became available.
