Other Connectivity → Cellphones, Providers, and Plans > [Mobile] Latest J D Power ratings of mobile carriers

Verizon Wireless may be losing some of its edge when it comes to subscriber goodwill. Verizon has long dominated J.D. Power’s customer care rankings for mobile carriers, but on Thursday the global rankings company crowned a new king of customer service in the U.S.: AT&T.

Ma Bell not only assumed the No. 1 ranking for the first time, it posted the highest score by any carrier in J.D. Power’s last three customer service studies.

As for the customer satisfaction results, one reason AT&T may have gained ascendance might be due to the shifting ways subscribers are contacting customer service. J.D. Power found that customers are increasingly contacting their carriers online, versus over the phone or in store, when they have a service issue. Many of them are using the chat features now common in carriers’ websites, and in general satisfaction is higher when using those chat channels.