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.
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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.
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f38urry said:Well, as much as I enjoy reading how my carrier (Verizon) perfo...
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.
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That's actually an enormous sample size, as far as statistical samplng goes. Many of the gold-standard studies in all sorts of the best scientific journals are conducted with only a fraction of these numbers.
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Was it a scientific sample? That is more important statistically than the number of participants.
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i am guessing it was probubly a pole that was taken over the telephone.
you should know that these magazenes never do scientific ploes usually that are done right over the internet.
you should know that these magazenes never do scientific ploes usually that are done right over the internet.
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I don't often count these type things as "scientifically accurate" but there is good information there
Granted some people are stupid, they are still the consumer and thats what consumer reports is all about. Just becuse you build the best mouse trap doesn't mean you are the most popular.
There is a lot of "data" missing to make the survey actually scientific. Is it a true random sample? what is the demographic of those polled? Where all the participants treated exactly the same?
Granted some people are stupid, they are still the consumer and thats what consumer reports is all about. Just becuse you build the best mouse trap doesn't mean you are the most popular.
There is a lot of "data" missing to make the survey actually scientific. Is it a true random sample? what is the demographic of those polled? Where all the participants treated exactly the same?
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Truman Show said:I don't care if the sample size was 3 times that many people...it's still not going to give an accurate account of carrier reliability. People say the wrong things, get their carriers confused, and generally make mistakes on these types of surveys.
That's actually an enormous sample size, as far as statistical samplng goes. Many of the gold-standard studies in all sorts of the best scientific journals are conducted with only a fraction of these numbers.
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muchdrama:
The 39,000 respondents were each answering a questionnaire about their OWN experiences with their OWN wireless carriers last September. It is hard to get carriers confused if you have only one. It would be pretty di...
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Truman Show said:
That's actually an enormous sample size, as far as statistical samplng goes. Many of the gold-standard studies in all sorts of the best scientific journals are conducted with only a fraction of these numbers.
I don't care if the sample size was 3 times that many people...it's still not going to give an accurate account of carrier reliability. People say the wrong things, get their carriers confused, and generally make mistakes on these types of surveys.
The 39,000 respondents were each answering a questionnaire about their OWN experiences with their OWN wireless carriers last September. It is hard to get carriers confused if you have only one. It would be pretty di...
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I don't know... I remember the calls that went like this...
Cust: "You charged me just way too much on my bill!"
Moi: "What's the wireless number?"
Cust: "728-555-1212"
Moi: "It's not coming up on my system... Are you sure you're with Cingular Wireless?"
Cust: "I'm positive! I've had this phone for 349 years!"
Moi: "*type**type**type* I'm sorry i'm not finding your account... You're certain it's with Cingular Wireless?"
Cust: "Yes you explicit deleted! Funny how you can find my account when you're billing me for it?!?!?!"
Moi: "What's the account # on the bill?"
Cust: "this is ridiculous... 3481930878329404982340728927..."
Moi: "I'm sorry that's not a Cingular account number... I'm showing here that your particu...
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Cust: "You charged me just way too much on my bill!"
Moi: "What's the wireless number?"
Cust: "728-555-1212"
Moi: "It's not coming up on my system... Are you sure you're with Cingular Wireless?"
Cust: "I'm positive! I've had this phone for 349 years!"
Moi: "*type**type**type* I'm sorry i'm not finding your account... You're certain it's with Cingular Wireless?"
Cust: "Yes you explicit deleted! Funny how you can find my account when you're billing me for it?!?!?!"
Moi: "What's the account # on the bill?"
Cust: "this is ridiculous... 3481930878329404982340728927..."
Moi: "I'm sorry that's not a Cingular account number... I'm showing here that your particu...
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speck:
Funny post, but the reality is in the Consumer Reports Ratings. Since you indicated in another forum that you read the article, I'd be surprised if you don't feel that way too.
Funny post, but the reality is in the Consumer Reports Ratings. Since you indicated in another forum that you read the article, I'd be surprised if you don't feel that way too.
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Glad you enjoyed it... It was worth the effort. 😉
On a serious note... In most cases, I believe this to be one, the consumers involved in these types of surveys and polls are of a higher intelligence. I agree that the margin for error is not as high as it's being implied.
I won't etch the ratings in stone but I also don't denounce the credibility of the survey itself. And yes, I rather enjoyed the article.
On a serious note... In most cases, I believe this to be one, the consumers involved in these types of surveys and polls are of a higher intelligence. I agree that the margin for error is not as high as it's being implied.
I won't etch the ratings in stone but I also don't denounce the credibility of the survey itself. And yes, I rather enjoyed the article.
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I think you and I work on the same department for the same company (different markets though) and people would be amazed of how many customers will call in customer service and yell for 10 minutes stra 🙄 ight about how bad the service is and what a crap their phone is and then during call you find out that they had the cell phone off and THAT was the reason why it was not working.
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First I'd like to say that the fact that most surveys have a small pool doesn't mean that this surveys small pool is acceptable. It would really only be appropriate if they could show that the people polled were in percents representative of the size of their carrier. n'ways I'd like to add that I cell both sprint and verison and wether or not you read the article mentioned above there are really only a few things that you need to know. Verisons customer service is way way better, and they charge you for it. The people that get sprint phones have a tendancy to make less money and have worse credit than verison customers, as much as I'd like to deny it it seems that this makes for a generaly less educated group of people. They call and b...
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The main problem with CU is that they don't sample enough of any industry they test. Another problem with them is that they have an axe to grind and grind it under the guise of objectivity.
If they want to talk about rural coverage they should try testing someplace outside of New York State like Long Beach, Washington or even Burns, Oregon. CU forgets that there are 2 coasts to the USA and that there is a heartland.
Are the subscribers they polled all in the same market? Were they careful to poll subscribers in markets where all carriers are equal or did one carrier have a tremendous advantage in their sample group that would not exist elsewhere?
Questions that many would not think to ask but I have seen absolutely unfair tests to give ...
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If they want to talk about rural coverage they should try testing someplace outside of New York State like Long Beach, Washington or even Burns, Oregon. CU forgets that there are 2 coasts to the USA and that there is a heartland.
Are the subscribers they polled all in the same market? Were they careful to poll subscribers in markets where all carriers are equal or did one carrier have a tremendous advantage in their sample group that would not exist elsewhere?
Questions that many would not think to ask but I have seen absolutely unfair tests to give ...
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