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Study: iPhone Users Actually Secretly Love AT&T
Though they may be suffering from Apple intoxication...

According to a new study from the Yankee Group, 73% of iPhone users are very satisfied with AT&T's service, a number well above the industry average satisfaction score (69) and AT&T's score for all phones (68). So what explains this satisfaction given two years of complaints and AT&T's customer satisfaction scores traditionally falling at the tail end of the spectrum? Researchers guess that users are so in love with the phone as an all-purpose device, they transfer some of this adoration over to AT&T via a "halo effect":

quote:
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"Consumers transfer the high gloss of their Apple iPhone experience to AT&T," says Carl Howe, Yankee Group analyst and author of the study. "The iPhone creates a halo effect that rubs off." In other words, iPhone customers' praise for their network may be a result of the famous "reality distortion field" that surrounds Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) CEO Steve Jobs and his company's products. But AT&T says its network really isn't as bad as many people think. It's a perception problem, not a service problem, in the company's eyes.
Instead of acknowledging the problem and explaining again how they're working on shortcomings (which they certainly are), AT&T has to insult peoples' intelligence by suggesting the problems have been hallucinatory in nature. Being unprepared for wireless traffic surges AT&T consistently sees coming isn't a "perception" problem, and it can't be fixed by more PR.

One thing that's also happening in terms of AT&T's satisfaction rates in the Yankee study is the firm didn't bother to study users by region. Many of the angry AT&T iPhone users tend to be in San Francisco and New York, where congestion wreaks havoc on AT&T's network. Unlike say in Cleveland, where users have a completely different experience on the AT&T network (like the ability to make phone calls on major highways).
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MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

MovieLover76

Member

Perfect

And you wonder why AT&T and Apple initially hit it off
their PR departments agree on one thing, never admit fault and blow bs up the customers ass.

That said I'm a happy iPhone customer, not in NYC or San Francisco, I will admit however that the small increase in issues, dropped calls, echoed voices, slow data than when I had Verizon. do tend to be subdued by my general satisfaction with the iphone as a great general purpose device, so even in less problematic markets the halo effect is active.
MovieLover76

MovieLover76

Member

Re: Perfect

I have seen great improvement in NJ though, I haven't had a echod call in months and the number of dropped calls have vastly improved.
flashcore
join:2007-01-23
united state

1 edit

flashcore to MovieLover76

Member

to MovieLover76
Lets see, I love AT&T so much that I went out yesterday and ordered myself a brand new Android X, should be here early next month. Even AT&T's mobile hotspot does not fix there dropped call issue with my 3Gs and it takes even longer for a call to go through, why the hell would I pay even more for a iPhone 4 when the AT&T network is just shit.

exocet_cm
Writing
Premium Member
join:2003-03-23
Brooklyn, NY

1 recommendation

exocet_cm

Premium Member

Yes, it's all a perception problem...

As I was calling 9-1-1 yesterday because I didn't have my radio with me my calls continuously failed.

In the middle of New Orleans and dropping calls left and right.

All about perception huh? I think its a REception problem, not a perception problem.

I guarantee my "love" for my iphone hasnt't rubbed off on AT&T's network.

Jameson
Premium Member
join:2004-05-28
united state

Jameson

Premium Member

Re: Yes, it's all a perception problem...

said by exocet_cm:

As I was calling 9-1-1 yesterday because I didn't have my radio with me my calls continuously failed.

In the middle of New Orleans and dropping calls left and right.

All about perception huh? I think its a REception problem, not a perception problem.

I guarantee my "love" for my iphone hasnt't rubbed off on AT&T's network.
I dumped my iPhone....couldn't stand AT&T for those exact reasons.

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia

Premium Member

Re: Yes, it's all a perception problem...

said by Jameson:
said by exocet_cm:

As I was calling 9-1-1 yesterday because I didn't have my radio with me my calls continuously failed.

In the middle of New Orleans and dropping calls left and right.

All about perception huh? I think its a REception problem, not a perception problem.

I guarantee my "love" for my iphone hasnt't rubbed off on AT&T's network.
I dumped my iPhone....couldn't stand AT&T for those exact reasons.
Looks like AT&T had a halo effect on the iphone

MinesFine
@bellsouth.net

MinesFine to exocet_cm

Anon

to exocet_cm
Dropping calles left and right? Funny, I work all over New Orleans (and St. Bernard) and don't have any problems.

Maybe it's your phone.

Matt3
All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC

Matt3

Premium Member

Re: Yes, it's all a perception problem...

said by MinesFine :

Dropping calles left and right? Funny, I work all over New Orleans (and St. Bernard) and don't have any problems.

Maybe it's your phone.
People keep saying this, but I have had a Bold 9700 and now have a Bold 9000 provided by work, and they drop just as many calls as my iPhone did. At least 1 out of every 4 calls drops.

djrobx
Premium Member
join:2000-05-31
Reno, NV

djrobx to MinesFine

Premium Member

to MinesFine
My Samsung Blackjack dropped calls all the time. iPhone 3G was just as bad when I got it, then some AT&T network improvements came. Now dropped calls are much more rare. Things have improved, just wish they were improving faster.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: Yes, it's all a perception problem...

I agree. When 3G first came around in Valencia, my Samsung ZX-20 was nothing but dropped calls. It improved a lot after they added a 2nd carrier channel.

exocet_cm
Writing
Premium Member
join:2003-03-23
Brooklyn, NY

exocet_cm to MinesFine

Premium Member

to MinesFine
said by MinesFine :

Dropping calles left and right? Funny, I work all over New Orleans (and St. Bernard) and don't have any problems.

Maybe it's your phone.
No, my Blackberry Bold 9000 did this just as much as my iPhone. I ditched my Blackberry and went to the iPhone (not for reception issues) but still have the same problems.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5 to exocet_cm

Premium Member

to exocet_cm
said by exocet_cm:

I guarantee my "love" for my iphone hasnt't rubbed off on AT&T's network.
So you are part of the 27% that AT&T doesn't care about.

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH to exocet_cm

Premium Member

to exocet_cm
They sent you out on the street without a radio? I won't let my guys work a traffic detail without one.

That, is a disgrace. Unless there's some sort of mitigating factor in effect here, your administration needs a swift kick in the aers...

exocet_cm
Writing
Premium Member
join:2003-03-23
Brooklyn, NY

1 edit

exocet_cm

Premium Member

Re: Yes, it's all a perception problem...

said by N3OGH:

They sent you out on the street without a radio? I won't let my guys work a traffic detail without one.

That, is a disgrace. Unless there's some sort of mitigating factor in effect here, your administration needs a swift kick in the aers...
I was off-duty and left my radio at the house. It was my fault.

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH

Premium Member

Re: Yes, it's all a perception problem...

Ahh, copy. You SHOULD leave it home when you're off. Sometimes I ask my guys when they leave the job behind, and they tell me they read the damn Galls catalog on the can! Take the time to separate yourself from it or you'll burn out..

Take it from someone who's been there....
Maggs
Premium Member
join:2002-11-29
Jackson Heights, NY

Maggs to exocet_cm

Premium Member

to exocet_cm
said by exocet_cm:

As I was calling 9-1-1 yesterday because I didn't have my radio with me my calls continuously failed.

In the middle of New Orleans and dropping calls left and right.

All about perception huh? I think its a REception problem, not a perception problem.

I guarantee my "love" for my iphone hasnt't rubbed off on AT&T's network.
Why are you calling 911, you ARE the police.

M A R S
Premium Member
join:2001-06-15
Long Island

M A R S

Premium Member

Re: Yes, it's all a perception problem...

said by Maggs:
said by exocet_cm:

As I was calling 9-1-1 yesterday because I didn't have my radio with me my calls continuously failed.

In the middle of New Orleans and dropping calls left and right.

All about perception huh? I think its a REception problem, not a perception problem.

I guarantee my "love" for my iphone hasnt't rubbed off on AT&T's network.
Why are you calling 911, you ARE the police.
OFF DUTY?

WeSRT4
join:2000-11-20
Mobile, AL

1 recommendation

WeSRT4

Member

AT&T sucks

Apple needs to make the iPhone available on all networks. Remember how being closed worked out for Apple back in the day? Now Android will do the same thing to Apple that Microsoft did back then.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: AT&T sucks

said by WeSRT4:

Remember how being closed worked out for Apple back in the day?
How's the closed-ness working for Apple's hardware sales? How about iTunes? The iPhone? I'd suggest that Apple is doing very well with its relatively closed platforms.

Alcohol
Premium Member
join:2003-05-26
Climax, MI

Alcohol

Premium Member

Re: AT&T sucks

said by openbox9:

said by WeSRT4:

Remember how being closed worked out for Apple back in the day?
How's the closed-ness working for Apple's hardware sales? How about iTunes? The iPhone? I'd suggest that Apple is doing very well with its relatively closed platforms.
They wouldn't be if their locked down devices were unable to be jail broken.
My personal opinion is that jailbreaking helps apple a lot in sales.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: AT&T sucks

You really think that jailbreakers are a large part of Apple's customer base? I disagree with that believe wholeheartedly.

Alcohol
Premium Member
join:2003-05-26
Climax, MI

1 edit

Alcohol

Premium Member

Re: AT&T sucks

said by openbox9:

You really think that jailbreakers are a large part of Apple's customer base? I disagree with that believe wholeheartedly.
Yes. Millions.

Cydia installer founder Jay Freeman estimates that over 10% of all iPhones are jailbroken.[1]

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IO ··· breaking

Matt3
All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC

Matt3

Premium Member

Re: AT&T sucks

said by Alcohol:

said by openbox9:

You really think that jailbreakers are a large part of Apple's customer base? I disagree with that believe wholeheartedly.
Yes. Millions.

Cydia installer founder Jay Freeman estimates that over 10% of all iPhones are jailbroken.[1]

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IO ··· breaking
I wouldn't consider 10% of a single product to be a "large part" of a customer base.

Alcohol
Premium Member
join:2003-05-26
Climax, MI

Alcohol

Premium Member

Re: AT&T sucks

said by Matt3:

said by Alcohol:

said by openbox9:

You really think that jailbreakers are a large part of Apple's customer base? I disagree with that believe wholeheartedly.
Yes. Millions.

Cydia installer founder Jay Freeman estimates that over 10% of all iPhones are jailbroken.[1]

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IO ··· breaking
I wouldn't consider 10% of a single product to be a "large part" of a customer base.
It's more than 10% and that doesn't include ipods.

Even 10% would be tens of millions. Although not a majority part of the customer base, still a significant one.

I'm sure most international versions aren't jail broken.
MRCUR
join:2007-03-09
Lancaster, PA

MRCUR to Alcohol

Member

to Alcohol
Apple has already sold well over 3,000,000 iPhone 4s with no demand decrease in site. There isn't a jailbreak available.

Apple is doing just fine, with or without the jailbreakers.
EdmundGerber
join:2010-01-04

EdmundGerber

Member

Re: AT&T sucks

said by MRCUR:

Apple has already sold well over 3,000,000 iPhone 4s with no demand decrease in site. There isn't a jailbreak available.

Apple is doing just fine, with or without the jailbreakers.
Of which at least 300,000 will be jailbroken shortly, as well, expect another sales spurt when the jailbreak is released.

Once apple eliminates the most egregious and obvious bugs, that is - don't hold your breath.

Alcohol
Premium Member
join:2003-05-26
Climax, MI

Alcohol to MRCUR

Premium Member

to MRCUR
said by MRCUR:

Apple has already sold well over 3,000,000 iPhone 4s with no demand decrease in site. There isn't a jailbreak available.

Apple is doing just fine, with or without the jailbreakers.
Just because it sold doesn't mean people aren't expecting a jail break.

A lot of people refuse to buy a locked down device like the iphone unless they know for a fact that it will be jail broken.

ilikeme
Premium Member
join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

1 edit

ilikeme

Premium Member

No real problems here

I have At&t and am not really having many problems. Yes I do have an iPhone 3G, but have had At&t/Cingular/Houston Cellular since 2000. Every once in a while I will have a call drop or not go thru, but it usually will on the 2nd attempt. The only thing I would like them to do is start to expand 3G coverage along highways between cities. It makes no sense that there a huge 3G coverage gap between Conroe and Huntsville, and Huntsville and Corsicana, when traveling between Houston and Dallas on I-45. Overall, I have noticed an improvement over the past few years.

old_dawg
"I Know Noting..."
join:2001-09-22
Westminster, MD

old_dawg

Member

Tune in, turn on, drop out ?

AT&T has to insult peoples' intelligence by suggesting the problems have been hallucinatory in nature

So when did Timothy Leary get added to the board of directors?
bdon78
I didn't do it
join:2009-05-18
Decatur, GA

1 recommendation

bdon78

Member

Here we go again

Karl,

I checked... i-hateatandt.com is still available. Ever think of switching the site's name?

»www.godaddy.com/domains/ ··· ci=16811

Interesting you can completely dismiss the studies' results. Why is it interesting? Because, I have at&t and I am happy. My friends have at&t and they are happy. We are not alone, and even though you continually thrash them, there are people who like at&t.

Just saying..

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

MovieLover76

Member

Re: Here we go again

The truth is while AT&T network is trash in some areas, it's very good in many areas, It really is comparable to Verizon where I live in most respects.

Is it a network problem to some extent, YES absolutely
Is it a PR issue to some extent, YES absolutely because AT&T does tend to treat it's customers as unimportant peons and deny that problems exist.

AT&T tries very hard to keep us from using the same devices that Apple tries to get us to use for more and more things, it's gonna be a PR nightmare for any cell phone carrier that gets the iPhone.

Despite the popularity of Android no one can argue that that mass effect of Android on a singular carrier doesn't even come close to what AT&T has had to deal with all of the IPhone's in the US.

•••••••

Time
Premium Member
join:2003-07-05
Irvine, CA

1 recommendation

Time to bdon78

Premium Member

to bdon78
I think it's become common practice for me to log on DSLR and expect my daily dose of anti-AT&T news. Despite their crappy customer service, the network in my area is nothing short of excellent.

••••

RRedline
Rated R
Premium Member
join:2002-05-15
USA

RRedline to bdon78

Premium Member

to bdon78
said by bdon78:

Karl,

I checked... i-hateatandt.com is still available. Ever think of switching the site's name?

»www.godaddy.com/domains/ ··· ci=16811

Interesting you can completely dismiss the studies' results. Why is it interesting? Because, I have at&t and I am happy. My friends have at&t and they are happy. We are not alone, and even though you continually thrash them, there are people who like at&t.

Just saying..
Yeah and there are people who have had (or are having) a horrible experience with them. I switched to an iPhone 3GS last year and quickly fell in love with the phone. However, service became almost unusable in the town where I work, and data speeds in generally were inconsistent and, for the most part, horribly slow in places where I spend most of my time.

A town of 50,000+ people should not have service so poor that you often cannot use data or even make a call. Needless to say, I switched back to Verizon and could not be happier. I have nothing but negative experience in dealing with AT&T, and that included many business trips I've taken all over the Northeast.

NetAdmin1
CCNA
join:2008-05-22

1 edit

NetAdmin1 to bdon78

Member

to bdon78
said by bdon78:

Interesting you can completely dismiss the studies' results.
Karl has an agenda, why would you expect him to deviate from it?

Clarification: I have ATT and I've had problems with them, so I'm less than happy with them. However, I know many people who are happy with them and I don't try to convince to them not to be.

•••

Mizzat
Will post for thumbs
Premium Member
join:2003-05-03
Atlanta, GA

Mizzat

Premium Member

The complaintants make the news

The complaintants make the news, that is all, people love to complain and news sites love to propgate that. It is nothing new, so if 27% pf the people were'nt very happy (which, IMO, is still very high) then those people are going to make much more noise than the people that are complacent with how it works for them. I'm not going to go out of my way to tell someone that something works as I think it should and am very satisfied, but I will if I'm not.

dellsweig
Extreme Aerobatics
MVM
join:2003-12-10
Campbell Hall, NY

1 recommendation

dellsweig

MVM

here is an additional thread from the dslr forums

»[iPhone] what do you think of this one

cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

cableties

Premium Member

Oh bother...

I bet it's the same % individuals that also use the most bandwidth...
dynodb
Premium Member
join:2004-04-21
Minneapolis, MN

dynodb

Premium Member

Halo effect

I've not heard that term used before, but it fits those of the Apple Liberation Front quite well:
"The iPhone creates a halo effect that rubs off." In other words, iPhone customers' praise for their network may be a result of the famous "reality distortion field" that surrounds Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) CEO Steve Jobs and his company's products.
"

I suspect that the fanboys would still be lining up at 5am for the next iPhone even if it only connected via kite strings tied between the phone and the nearest tower

Vamp9190
Premium Member
join:2002-02-11
Chantilly, VA

Vamp9190

Premium Member

It's OK

Just take the BLUE pill, everything will be fine.

theoph
@rr.com

theoph

Anon

I like them...

I've had att since before iPhone here in FL. Never had issues at all. Customer service is fine, reception is always great, etc. Have used blackberry, an old winmo phone, iPhone 3g and now iPhone 4. Happy all around. I think the reality distortion is a the web... people complain more than they express satisfaction. Just saying...

•••

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

1 edit

morbo

Member

Perception problem?

Perception problem? I'm inclined to agree. However, let's be clear: the perception problem is that AT&T's network is anything more than overpriced trash.

SlickEnW
Premium Member
join:2003-01-21
Seattle, WA

1 edit

SlickEnW

Premium Member

Just pulled these speeds down last night

Click for full size
We can resume being friends....
...for now...

olemanriver
@sbcglobal.net

olemanriver

Anon

Re: Just pulled these speeds down last night

Dang, great speeds here's my U-Verse


LightS
Premium Member
join:2005-12-17
Greenville, TX

LightS to SlickEnW

Premium Member

to SlickEnW
Very nice. I wish I had that kind of upload on my connection -- Much less a phone.



Time Warner Cable Standard. 7mbps/512kbps w/ PowerBoost.

Share the upstream!
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

Blog B!tches Wrong Again

I love seeing the Blog B!tches being proven wrong yet again......

Z80A
Premium Member
join:2009-11-23

Z80A

Premium Member

Maybe it's not that the iPhone is so good...

...it's that other handsets are that bad.

whatmeworry
@verizon.net

whatmeworry

Anon

its the phone not the network for me

I've proved functionality with this, the iPhone recepttion issues are to do with the iPhone being a weak phone. I've done side by side test with my trusty old Moto V9. I found dead or low quality spots for the iPhone and then tested against the other phone. No problem and clear as a bell talking and video/data on the V9 rocked it. I've done this test with every version on the iPhone to date, same issue. Looks like they sacrificed reception for whatever reason. I have family in SD...not a real hot area for ATT. When I fly in, I swap the SIM card from the iPhone to my old Moto V9 and have no prblems roaming whereas the iPhone is useless the minute you drive out of the city.

LightS
Premium Member
join:2005-12-17
Greenville, TX

LightS

Premium Member

Re: its the phone not the network for me

I agree. To me, it appears as though aesthetics are more important than function these days....
Flycat
join:2003-05-12
Lawrence, MA

Flycat

Member

No problem with them here

In fact, the single experience I've had with their customer service was great. My wife had inverted 2 digits on one of her "A team?" and it led to quite an overage. The CS rep identified the obvious mistake, told me I'd see a credit on my already paid bill and the entire call took a minute and a half.
ebubman
join:2002-01-17
Mechanicsburg, PA

ebubman

Member

neither love nor hate

the relationship w/ att is more like sam kinison said years ago "what are you going to do? give sheep the right to vote?"

JBDragon
@comcast.net

JBDragon

Anon

S.F.

It takes 3+ years to put up a new Cell Tower in San Francisco!! That means when the first IPhone came out, only around NOW would you start seeing any better results in S.F. I'm not at all surprised. I less then a hour away and I avoid that City like the Plague that it is. Been quite a few years since the last time I went there.

I've also had ZERO dropped called on my Cell phones from AT&T, and I've been a member since it was Cingular. I have a Iphone 4 NOW which replaced my Motorola Razor. I'm even left handed, I was worried about the Antenna, but now after using it, it's been working great. It's also my FIRST Apple product EVER. No case on my phone, I do have a Custom SKIN on my phone. It's not any bulker.

My only AT&T problem and it's with all of these Wireless Carriers, is the High Prices!!! Worse is the high price on something that should be FREE, Messaging.

FastiBook
join:2003-01-08
Newtown, PA

FastiBook

Member

Re: S.F.

That's what i've been trying to get people to understand. If it were up to cell providers, there would be no place on the continent not served by at least one cell site. There are 3 things to take into consideration.

One: Zoning. If the local zoning only allows for a monopole of a certain hight, cell site not as useful as it could be.

Two: Engineering limitations. Every cell tower, be it free standing or structure mounted has engineering limitations, the wind load, plus static load, plus precipitation load, remember also that a rained on tower is going to have more drag on it than a dry one due to how water behaves. Monopoles are only good for a certain amount of torque at the base, and lattice towers have to worry about ice buildup and additional surface area drag. Structure mounted cell sites are limited by the structure they are mounted to, a lot of these buildings were never designed to have antennas bolted to them, and some of the mounting equipment is quite elaborate to avoid damaging brick for instance.

Three: NIMBY. There is still quite a lot of controversy about location of cell sites due to local opinions on the issue, these opinions do matter, they are valid concerns, property value, eyesore index etc etc. Also, just because a cell site is within eyesight, does not mean that your phone is connecting to it, and therefore you may not see a benefit. Some (a small %) of the towers primarily relay information when the call is being placed to a nearby cell site from the originating site using the transmitters vs the backhaul. Some of these cell sites are designed to cover a very wide area, so you , close up to it, may not be covered, and instead rely on a site farther away with a weaker signal, thankfully these are becoming less and less as cell sizes shrink to get more throughput/higher quality transmission per user, but it can and has happened.

It is not 100% up to the cell provider where and what the cell sites are, they have FCC compliance, soil testing, local opinion, structural limitations of the support structures, height and size limitations from local zoning or from other local conditions such as poor soil.

You come to my town, or the next one over, the 2 biggest most populated cell towers are lattice type towers sharing the tower with emergency and municipal equipment. The 2nd largest one has to be over by the interstate near an extended stay type motel, and a small business park, has 7 or 8 antenna bundles top to bottom, also state police radio equipment.

So, if i get poor signal, it's because i live on the edge of a municipality near a massive park, not because att doesn't want me to have good signal. I go outside of my street and i get 5 bars everywhere. Since i have wifi, it is a non-issue.

- A
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