DISH Network, Verizon FiOS, DirecTV lead J.D. Power Survey

In a press release issued by J.D. Power and Associates on October 7, 2009, "Customer satisfaction with television service providers has increased considerably from 2008 as a result of improvements in outages and problem resolution, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 U.S. Residential Television Service Satisfaction StudySM released today."

Based on surveys from 28,118 households three times during the year, the average jumped by 23 points (last years average) to 632 points out of 1,000 for overall customer satisfaction.

Average wait time for customer service is down this year, and fewer customers are experiencing outages. Good news for the major television service providers, Verizon FiOS, DISH Network and DirecTV. However, according to the study, customer loyalty has dropped off, indicating the percentage of cable customers looking for less expensive options is increasing. People are keeping their options open to better deals. If a better deal comes along, they're more likely to jump ship and change providers.

Personal habits - the way we watch television - are changing as well. Pay-per-view is down as people try and save money. On the other hand, DVR usage has increased, confirming the trend to trim the budget with free programming.

The J.D. Power study measured overall customer service, performance and reliability, cost, billing, and promotions, in 4 geographic regions: North, South, East and West. Based on the study in the East for instance, Verizon FiOs ranked highest with a score of 714, while DirecTV and DISH Network came in second and third. Each region was slightly different with AT&T U-verse, Cox and WOW! switching places on the graphs.

Who is J.D. Power and Associates?
Established in 1968 and headquartered in Westlake Village, California, J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies that is well known for its global marketing information based on independent consumer surveys of product and service quality, customer satisfaction, and buyer behavior. For more information, and to view the rest of the study results, go to jdpower.com