Avoiding the Dreaded Dropped Call Syndrome
Any regular cell phone user can attest to the fact that the biggest annoyance one can face is dropped call syndrome. The syndrome occurs when someone is on a cell phone and suddenly he or she is cut off. Cell phone companies recognize this, so they are trying their best to promote programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of dropped calls.
For instance, Verizon Wireless advertises itself as “America’s Most Reliable Network.” The underlying message in the ads is that you’ll be less likely to experience dropped calls if you sign onto Verizon. In response, Sprint Nextel posits that “no one has a more powerful network,” indicating that Sprint Nextel has the power and precision necessary to reduce dropped calls. Meanwhile, AT&T states that its clientele have to endure the fewest dropped calls.
Much of cell phone advertising is focusing on dropped calls these days, since they’re of such great concern to cell phone customers. Other key concerns include speed of data connections and coverage area. In other words, service is being emphasized rather than cost. Interestingly enough, analysts say that the cost of cell phone calls has decreased by about 80 percent since 1996, so cost is of lesser import.
The advertising appears to be in response to consumer feedback. For instance, a poll conducted by Harris Interactive Technology Research found that the vast majority of respondents believe that cell phone companies should be upgrading their service.
Meanwhile, Verizon, Sprint Nextel, and AT&T have been in a three-way race to show which carrier offers the best service of them all. While Verizon cites surveys showing its quality can’t be beat, AT&T touts its impressively small dropped call percentage. AT&T, coincidentally, spent more than $6 billion on improvements to its networks last year. An independent research company has confirmed that AT&T has a lower dropped call rate than other carriers during some periods of the day. Meanwhile, another independent company found that Sprint Nextel has made better progress than other carriers when it comes to improving its network.
A survey published by Consumer Reports found that Verizon had superior coverage in nearly all of the 18 cities studied. As a result, some analysts say it would be better for Verizon’s competitors to focus their advertising on features other than reliability of their networks.
Still, it looks like there will be no end to the cellular quality wars anytime soon. Instead, consumers should expect additional cell phone ads stressing quality concerns in the near term.
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