New research, commissioned by Comptel Corporation (NASDAQ OMX Helsinki: CTL1V), the leading vendor of dynamic Operations Support System (OSS) software, has revealed that two-thirds of consumers feel neglected by their mobile operators and that more than two in five are likely to churn within the next two years as a result.

The survey, which was executed by independent research firm Vanson Bourne last month, polled 2,000 consumers from across the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States on their mobile usage and spending habits, as well as on their relationships and satisfaction with their mobile operators. The results also provide insight into how mobile operators can better engage with consumers to increase loyalty and capitalise on potential upsell opportunities.

For instance, more than one in five respondents reported experiencing poor quality of service (QoS), such as dropped calls, low bandwidth and the slow loading of files, at least once a week. Yet, the majority (72 percent) of consumers agree that if their mobile operators apologised and sent special offers, it would make up for the poor QoS and would increase their loyalty. Younger consumers indicated that they are the most likely to be forgiving in these situations, with one in three respondents aged 18-25 answering that they would definitely be more loyal if shown more love.

In addition, if mobile operators offered faster download rates, 59 percent of respondents said that they would pay for it. In fact, nearly one in five consumers said that they would be willing to pay more than five pounds, euros or dollars extra monthly for such an upgrade. The results showed that younger respondents aged 18-25 demand more bandwidth for video, pictures and music, with nearly one in five downloading content to their mobile devices at least once a week; they are also most likely to pay for faster downloads (73 percent) and willing to spend the most.

“With so many consumers expected to churn in the next two years if their needs are not better met, mobile operators need to significantly improve customer engagement,” said Ms. Ulla Koivukoski, senior vice president, marketing and communications, Comptel. “We live in a real-time world where, particularly with younger subscribers, consumers are requiring more personalised and dynamic services—the right customer engagement solutions should be able to adapt to and facilitate that. Comptel sees real-time data collection and analysis, along with increased interaction with customers, as critical to ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty and maximising revenue opportunities.”

The research report will be available at Comptel’s booth at Mobile World Congress (Hall 1, Stand 1C06), or please contact [email protected].

Other Key Findings
• On average, users have been with their current mobile operator for four years, with older respondents having been loyal the longest.
o Consumers who have been with their mobile operator for less than a year were more likely to base their selection decision around download speeds, whereas those who have been with their mobile operator longer are more likely to stick with them because of ease.
o The most common reasons for churning were expensive pricing or long service contract options (59 percent), dissatisfaction with download speeds (31 percent) and lack of consistency in terms of QoS (29 percent).

• Pre-paid mobile top-up deals offer revenue growth potential for mobile operators.
o Nearly half of pre-paid customers reported that they were not aware of or that their mobile operator did not provide such promotions.
o This is especially apparent in the U.S. and U.K., where four in ten respondents cited being more likely to spend money on mobile products and services when they have just been paid.

• If offered by mobile operators, more than a quarter of consumers are willing to pay for temporary bandwidth boosts.
o Younger subscribers up to the age of 35 and men indicated that they are more willing to purchase these upgrades.
o Respondents in the U.S. are also more likely to pay for faster download speeds and are willing to pay the most (nearly three dollars on average) each month for it.