India is one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world, with a
total wireless subscriber base of 242.4 mn at the end of January 2008. Though
quantitatively we are going great-adding 8 mn subscribers each month-the quality
of service has failed to match the speed at which the number of subscribers is
growing.
Mobile operators have not been able to uphold or increase satisfaction level
significantly. Customer satisfaction rankings are even more critical now than
before, given the competitive nature of mobile services. All operators are in
the race for increasing their subscriber base but no one is worried about the
quality of services provided. They need to earmark more funds and effort to
improve the level of satisfaction.
The satisfaction level of mobile users is much lower than expected. A lot of
efforts and initiatives are needed from operators' side to improve this
parameter.
The VOICE&DATA Mobile User Satisfaction Survey 2007 revealed that the
satisfaction level has significantly dropped for most operators, except for
Aircel, which has seen an increase in the level of satisfaction of its
subscribers. The company is expanding its network and coverage in north and
eastern India.
Aircel has identified eleven telecom circles to provide wireless telephony.
The company has started its GSM cellular operations in Assam, North East, Orissa,
West Bengal, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Bihar telecom circles. Soon, it will
roll out its services in other telecom circles as well.
Only three operators-BPL, MTNL, and Aircel-are above the TRAI benchmark of
90% satisfaction. Though BPL and MTNL are not far behind, Aircel has emerged as
the clear winner. In 2005, BPL and MTNL were leading the path with a
satisfaction level of 97.9% each, and in 2006, Tata Indicom reached 90.3%.
Overall Satisfaction
In the overall satisfaction, Aircel, BPL, and MTNL are marginally above the
TRAI benchmark of 90%. Aircel leads the way with 92.23% whereas BPL and MTNL are
at 91.9% and 91.2%, respectively.
Other existing operators have seen a considerable downfall in overall
satisfaction. While Aircel has witnessed maximum improvement in overall
satisfaction, Spice Telecom has seen maximum fall.
Metro Leads the Pack
Fortunately, the services offered in metro circles seem to be improving. The
survey shows that there has been a significant improvement in the services in
metro circles.
In 2007, BPL is the clear leader followed by MTNL and Bharti Airtel. BPL
Mobile currently operates in Mumbai with more than one million satisfied
subscribers, while MTNL operates in two key metros-Delhi and Mumbai.
Interestingly, against 2006, when just one operator was marginally above the
TRAI benchmark, in 2007, three operators are above the 90% benchmark set by TRAI.
Unlike metro circles, the A circle services have deteriorated significantly,
and only one operator, Aircel, has crossed 90 percentage points. Though Aircel
leads in this segment, it is only marginally above the TRAI benchmark.
Even B and C circles have witnessed deterioration in the quality of services
provided by various operators. Aircel is again the leader in these circles with
93.6% satisfaction. While three operators-Tata Teleservices, Vodafone, and Idea
Cellular-crossed 90% in 2006, only Aircel reached the benchmark in 2007.
Top of the Mind
Like the last survey, Bharti Airtel is again the top of the mind brand and
top of the mind advertisement for subscribers because Bharti Airtel's
advertisements are clearly translating into brand recall. In this era of stiff
competition, Bharti Airtel emerged a clear winner in the category of most
cost-effective tariff plans. Thus, the company is well ahead of its competitors,
who need to make a lot of effort to be at par with Bharti Airtel.
On the other hand, Nokia strongly dominates in top of the mind brand, top of
the mind advertisement, most feature-loaded handsets and most well-designed and
appealing handsets, most easy to use keys and menus, most relevant and
user-friendly value added features in the handset category.
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