Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right
My February 2005 issue of Consumer Reports just arrived in the mail. They have a very comprehensive review, based upon the experiences of 39,000 of their subscribers, of Overall Satisfaction and Performance ratings of nationwide cellular telephone carriers in seventeen US metropolitan area markets.
With such a large survey sampling, the results are highly valid, statistically. It is very interesting reading for anyone who is considering their first phone, or who may be considering changing carriers.
If you don't subscribe, Consumer Reports is available on newsstands or in your local public library.
With such a large survey sampling, the results are highly valid, statistically. It is very interesting reading for anyone who is considering their first phone, or who may be considering changing carriers.
If you don't subscribe, Consumer Reports is available on newsstands or in your local public library.
...
The Consumer Reports cellular carrier survey was conducted in September 2004. If you work in the cellular industry (I don't) you should not miss the article.
...
Statistically speaking, that's probably a valid sample size. Most of the 'surveys' I've read about in past have had much smaller sampler sizes than that, like 1K. Those I have a problem with.
...
I actually have a problem with this one as well. 39,000 people out millions of customers for the major wireless providers.....come on now. I really dont care for surveys anyway. The reason is that some people are biased and may have had a bad day.
...
Mmm... I dunno, with 39k people, a few folks being biased or having a bad day would seem to be nulled out by a few other ppl being biased the other way or having a *good* day.
I'd have to look at their methodology, but assuming they did it right, it would seem to be a valid sample. And while some tend to pooh-pooh surveys, you can bet a lot of ppl who read Consumer Reports are, for good or bad, taking the results seriously... look at what they've done for cars, for example.
That said, CS does have a weakness- they review so many different types of products that they do not often have a tremendous depth of knowledge in any particular one.
I'd have to look at their methodology, but assuming they did it right, it would seem to be a valid sample. And while some tend to pooh-pooh surveys, you can bet a lot of ppl who read Consumer Reports are, for good or bad, taking the results seriously... look at what they've done for cars, for example.
That said, CS does have a weakness- they review so many different types of products that they do not often have a tremendous depth of knowledge in any particular one.
...
Valid sample size? I don't know about that. 39,000 is roughly 0.02% of the entire subscriber base. That's not a valid sample size for any accurate survey. I also noticed that this "survey" was done in september- before the merger. so, i'm not sure why the title of "two wrongs don't make a right" actually applies. Is that the name of the article as well? if so, it seems rather biased. why is it that consumer reports always reports verizon as one of the top when almost every local survey puts them lower than even many regional carriers. US Cellular consistently out scores verizon/cingular in the same areas but somehow consumer reports says they are the best. i haven't read the article yet, but I'm not real sure the survey even matters with onl...
(continues)
(continues)
...
PhoenixAshes said:
Valid sample size? I don't know about that. 39,000 is roughly 0.02% of the entire subscriber base. That's not a valid sample size for any accurate survey.
Well, then you need to get on the phone and say something to the Gallup people or Zogby or one of dozens of TV stations or major newspapers... during the election, they did polls on the 100+ million likely voters using sample sizes that were far smaller than the 39k that CS used for the cell survey... usually something around 1k voters.
Yet they generated results that were consistently pretty close... most of the polls going into the final weekend, for example, had Bush slightly ahead, which was the final result. The day-of-electio...
(continues)
...
BetterThanJake said:...PhoenixAshes said:
Valid sample size? I don't know about that. 39,000 is roughly 0.02% of the entire subscriber base. That's not a valid sample size for any accurate survey.
Well, then you need to get on the phone and say something to the Gallup people or Zogby or one of dozens of TV stations or major newspapers... during the election, they did polls on the 100+ million likely voters using sample sizes that were far smaller than the 39k that CS used for the cell survey... usually something around 1k voters.
Yet they generated results that were consistently pretty close... most of the polls going into the final weekend, for example, had Bush slightly ahead, which
(continues)
...
Why wouldn't you believe that a regional carrier could beat out a national in terms of customer satisfaction? Superior CS is superior CS, regardless of the size of your company.
Point taken on polls forming opinions however. Yes, I'm sure that there are a few fence-sitters who just 'like to be on the winning team' and go with whomever's ahead. But thats the fence-sitters though... many people have strong beliefs and personal make-or-break issues (from the economy to the war to values) that no poll is going to influence.
Look at the Kentucky Senate race... one of the candidates was honestly thought to be mentally ill, because he was saying some incredibly bizarre things on the campaign trail, such as his opponent resembled Saddam Husse...
(continues)
Point taken on polls forming opinions however. Yes, I'm sure that there are a few fence-sitters who just 'like to be on the winning team' and go with whomever's ahead. But thats the fence-sitters though... many people have strong beliefs and personal make-or-break issues (from the economy to the war to values) that no poll is going to influence.
Look at the Kentucky Senate race... one of the candidates was honestly thought to be mentally ill, because he was saying some incredibly bizarre things on the campaign trail, such as his opponent resembled Saddam Husse...
(continues)
...
Somehow... "Bush and Kerry did it" is unconvincing... It's really the equivalent of saying "The village idiot(s) said it was ok!"
As far as the accuracy of surveys... It all depends on how it was conducted... If the servey is done properly then I would consider the survery a credible source... It's a shame we're rarely told how the survey's are conducted.
As far as the accuracy of surveys... It all depends on how it was conducted... If the servey is done properly then I would consider the survery a credible source... It's a shame we're rarely told how the survey's are conducted.
...
I agree that methodology is key. I'm going to have to go out and get that issue of CR now and see if there's any mention.
Far as Bush and Kerry being idiots goes... yeah, there's something to that 🙂. But their campaigns are actually run by very smart cookies indeed, such as Karl Rove, who understand that winning elections these days is a science. Its incredible the kind of tools these guys have at their disposal to gauge public opinion.
Far as Bush and Kerry being idiots goes... yeah, there's something to that 🙂. But their campaigns are actually run by very smart cookies indeed, such as Karl Rove, who understand that winning elections these days is a science. Its incredible the kind of tools these guys have at their disposal to gauge public opinion.
...
Political polls are iffy, but are conducted a little more conciously than Consumer Reports. CR only polled their own customers, and Gallup or other credited pollers take sample portions from each demographic. Also, I'm getting that the 39,000 people surveyed breaks down to less than 0.08% of total wireless consumers.
...
The sample size wouldn't be a problem... the methodology could be.
Again, I don't have the CR issue yet, so I can't speak to their methodology. But that's what I'd look at if I wanted to de-bunk their survey, or any survey in fact. Sample sizes far less than the CR report (as a percentage or as a raw number) can and routinely have for decades provided statistically-accurate results with a high level of confidence.
Again, I don't have the CR issue yet, so I can't speak to their methodology. But that's what I'd look at if I wanted to de-bunk their survey, or any survey in fact. Sample sizes far less than the CR report (as a percentage or as a raw number) can and routinely have for decades provided statistically-accurate results with a high level of confidence.
...
BetterThanJake said:
Why wouldn't you believe that a regional carrier could beat out a national in terms of customer satisfaction? Superior CS is superior CS, regardless of the size of your company.
Please re-read my post. I was saying that all of the local surveys and polls usually had regional carriers doing better. That's why I was questioning the authenticity of the Consumer Reports survey. I was saying that Verizon usually falls 2nd or 3rd behind a regional carrier and even some of the other national carriers. In the last year, I don't think I have seen a local poll or survey in any area that has Verizon best in service quality or customer service. The only survey I have heard of that says otherwis...
(continues)
...
Well, you have fun with that. Honestly, saying the poll is a farce partially because regional carriers score higher makes no sense....I honestly don't get what you're meaning....are you saying the regional carriers shouldn't be included?
...
JessiCSR said:
Well, you have fun with that. Honestly, saying the poll is a farce partially because regional carriers score higher makes no sense....I honestly don't get what you're meaning....are you saying the regional carriers shouldn't be included?
Have fun with what? Am I speaking chinese?
I am specifically stating that in most local surveys and polls, Verizon usually gets beat out by at least one national carrier and at least one regional carrier in terms of service and quality. But, somehow Verizon keeps getting top nod from Consumer Reports. I am not saying that regional carriers shouldn't be included or that they are inferior... I am wondering how Verizon can be listed as the best by Consumer R...
(continues)
...
I'd lean towards the one reliable magazine...
Reason being?
Consumer Reports has credibility and went out of their way to insure that the survey was executed with a low margin for error... Though the numbers may not be to the exact hundredth of a decimal, it is a general view.
The rankings aren't set in stone and by no means is it anything a carrier will use as a marketing campaign... It's to give the consumer and anybody working in the industry an idea of how people feel...
Reason being?
Consumer Reports has credibility and went out of their way to insure that the survey was executed with a low margin for error... Though the numbers may not be to the exact hundredth of a decimal, it is a general view.
The rankings aren't set in stone and by no means is it anything a carrier will use as a marketing campaign... It's to give the consumer and anybody working in the industry an idea of how people feel...
...
PhoenixAshes:
You write of "local surveys and polls". Could you PLEASE BE MUCH MORE SPECIFIC about when, where and how such hundreds of surveys or polls were conducted? You are writing about unsubstantiated broad generalities unless you can back your statemnents up with facts, not just heresay.
You write of "local surveys and polls". Could you PLEASE BE MUCH MORE SPECIFIC about when, where and how such hundreds of surveys or polls were conducted? You are writing about unsubstantiated broad generalities unless you can back your statemnents up with facts, not just heresay.
...
It is very simple. All anyone that is interested in CR's ratings methodology has to do, is to read the three-page article for themselves. It is very interesting and available on most newsstands.
...
f38urry said:
It is very simple. All anyone that is interested in CR's ratings methodology has to do, is to read the three-page article for themselves. It is very interesting and available on most newsstands.
Sound advice. Unfortunately, it hasn't quite hit my local stores yet.
...
