U.S. Consumers Go Online to Solve Smartphone Problems... But 75% Fail to Find a Fix

KIRKLAND, Washington, June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

For U.S. consumers looking to fix a problem with their smartphone, the internet has become a convenient and popular support option. However 75 per cent fail to find a satisfactory solution, according to new study by WDS into the mobile customer experience.

The top five problems that smartphone users tried to resolve online were email set-up, importing contacts, internet connectivity, app downloads and camera usage.

Over a third of consumers (34 per cent) relied on search engine results to link them to a possible solution rather than directly navigating to the support pages of their carrier (21 per cent) or device manufacturer (19 per cent), where resolution rates were often greater.

Those that relied on search engine results were often linked to third-party forums or support resources where the help content wasn't necessarily accurate or relevant to their device build. The study also revealed that having failed to find a fix, and reluctant to spend any more time looking, 22 per cent said they'd just give up rather than calling their carrier for further help.

"This is a worrying trend for mobile carriers," says Tim Deluca-Smith, Vice President Marketing at WDS. "Having invested heavily in their own online help pages there's an assumption that users are able to quickly search and navigate to the right piece of help content. This study shows that this is simply not the case. In the majority of the cases, the consumer simply follows search engine recommendations which three times out of four do not lead to a resolution.

"The point is that in many cases the carrier has little to no control over the experience and the quality of the outcome."

The survey findings also mean that the volume of problems being encountered by end-users is likely to be underestimated by carriers.

"Often it's consumers who are new to smartphones that are looking for this type of support. If they fail to set-up email or download an app for example, then there's the risk that they'll just fall-back to more familiar non-smartphone services and limit their usage to basic voice and SMS. In this instance, that expensive smartphone that has been heavily subsidized by the carrier isn't doing its job in building loyalty and driving use of more value-added services," adds Deluca-Smith.

Survey Highlights:

• Where do users go for online support:
  • 34 per cent rely on search engine results to link them to a possible fix
  • 21 per cent navigate directly to their carrier's support pages
  • 19 per cent visit their device manufacturer's support pages
  • 11 per cent go directly to a known and trusted third-party forum
• If a fix can't be found, what do users do?
  • 22 per cent just give up
  • 19 per cent would call their carrier
  • 20 per cent would return to a retail store

The research, undertaken by WDS in Q1 2012, surveyed 1,079 mobile users across the United States.

About WDS

WDS is the wireless industry's only provider of specialist managed services dedicated to improving the customer experience across the entire consumer lifecycle. The company's portfolio of platform-enabled tools and services stretches across the wireless value chain to connect and optimize each stage of the consumer lifecycle. With more than 15 years of experience and a global footprint, WDS is the partner of choice for wireless carriers, handset manufactures and service providers looking to transform their relationships with consumers. The company currently counts over 100 customers, including most of the world's largest handset manufacturer and mobile operator brands, and is headquartered in Poole, UK.

To find out more, please visit http://www.wds.co

Media Contacts:
Howard Jones, CCgroup
+44-207-313-4408 / +44-7760-322-050
[email protected]

Tim Deluca-Smith, Vice President, Marketing, WDS,
+44-7957-311189
[email protected]

SOURCE WDS