Wireless Router Customer Satisfaction Declines in 2017 Due to Ineffective Customer Service, J.D. Power Finds

TP-Link Ranks Highest in Overall Satisfaction among Wireless Router Manufacturers

News provided by

Nov 15, 2017, 08:00 ET

COSTA MESA, Calif., Nov. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Overall wireless router customer satisfaction declines in 2017 to 833, on a 1,000-point scale, from 847 in 2016. Satisfaction declines in all 10 factors measured in the study, with the largest decline in customer service (down 26 points on a 1,000-point scale), according to the J.D. Power 2017 Wireless Router Satisfaction Report,^SM released today. Less than one-half (46%) of customers report their wireless router manufacturer has exceptional customer support, down from 50% in 2016.

The 10 factors measured in the 2017 report include (in order of importance) Wi-Fi range; reliability; speed of upload/download; restore connection easily; security capabilities; price; ease of use; variety of features; intuitive user interface; and customer service.

"As wireless device technology continues its rapid growth, consumers need to be able to rely on their wireless router when accessing the internet" said Peter Cunningham, Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Practice Lead at J.D. Power. "What's most important to customers is the ability to easily establish a reliable online connection through their wireless router regardless of the type or number of wireless devices they are using. Router manufacturers providing a reliable product that's intuitive to set up and operate and that has a large range of signal strength can increase levels of satisfaction as well as customer advocacy and loyalty."

Other key findings of the report include:

Satisfied customers remain loyal: Overall satisfaction among customers who say they "definitely will" or "probably will" purchase the same wireless router brand they currently own is 228 points higher than among those who say they "definitely will not" or "probably will not" repurchase the same brand in the future (841 vs. 613, respectively).
Wireless router problems are infrequent: Fewer than 2 in 10 (16%) customers experience problems with their wireless router. The most frequently experienced problems reported include frequency of resetting router (38%); slow internet speeds (36%); initially connecting to the internet (36%); set-up/installation process (19%); slow speed of downloads/uploads (19%); limited Wi-Fi range (18%); and not working properly (18%).
Smartphones are most connected: The percentage of customers who access the internet via a wireless router in their home varies by device. Most customers use a wireless router to connect their smartphone (83%), followed by laptop (81%), tablet (68%), desktop (55%), printer (53%), smart TV (53%) and streaming device/media player, such as Chromecast or Roku (48%).
Price is impactful: Price is the primary reason for choosing a wireless router brand (42%), followed by range of signal strength (35%); past experience with product/brand (31%); brand reputation (29%); speed of downloads/uploads (27%); and ease of use (27%)—e.g., simple to understand and connect to the internet.

Wireless Router Satisfaction Rankings

TP-Link ranks highest in customer satisfaction with wireless routers for the first time, with a score of 839, performing particularly well in security capabilities; price; variety of features; and intuitive user interface. Belkin (835) ranks second, D-Link (834) ranks third, followed by Asus (831).

The 2017 Wireless Router Satisfaction Report is based on responses from 980 current owners of wireless routers who purchased their device during the 12-month period prior to report fielding in October 2017.

The report, now in its third year, measures overall satisfaction with wireless router manufacturers among consumers who purchased a router during the 12-month period prior to responding to the report survey.

See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2017221.

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. J.D. Power is a portfolio company of XIO Group, a global alternative investments and private equity firm headquartered in London, and is led by its four founders: Athene Li, Joseph Pacini, Murphy Qiao and Carsten Geyer.

Media Relations Contacts
Jillian Breska; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-481-9115; [email protected]
John Roderick; St. James, N.Y.; 631-584-2200; [email protected]

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info http://www.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

SOURCE J.D. Power