Press information Telephone operators 2007 according to the EPSI Rating Customer Satisfaction Study Saunalahti, TeleFinland and Kolumbus outperform
their parent companies, Sonera and Elisa Mobile phone operators: - Saunalahti, TeleFinland and Kolumbus outperform their parent companies, Sonera and Elisa
- All operators’ service quality is worse than product quality
- Sonera has passed Elisa
- Customer loyalty goes into different directions among operators
Internet operators: - Among the home internet operators best satisfaction score to Welho
- Other operators are catching up to Welho
- 34 % of Finnish home Internet users have had reason to complain to their operator during the last year
- However, 38 % of them did not bother to complain to their operator
- In Lithuania, the most satisfied home-internet customers, in Norway the most dissatisfied
These are some of the results from the latest EPSI Rating study concerning private customers’ satisfaction with their mobile phone operators and home internet connections in Finland. The same study has been conducted in all Nordic and Baltic countries. The interviews were done in September-October 2007. In all EPSI Rating studies, the customer satisfaction index is the most central measurement. It can take values between 0 and 100 where 100 means that all customers are very satisfied. However, other measurements are included as well. These are known as important drivers and consist of company images, customer expectations, product and service quality, value for money. These drivers together with customer satisfaction result in customer loyalty. Saunalahti, TeleFinland and Kolumbus outperform their parent companies, Sonera and Elisa This years´ results concerning satisfaction with different mobile telephone operator brands are presented below. In this study, the customers evaluated their mobile telephone operators for their private mobile phones. The error margins are about +,- 2 index points.  The best satisfaction scores were given to the group “Other brands”. The group includes such “smaller” brands as Saunalahti, TeleFinland and Kolumbus. Interesting is that they are owned by Elisa and Sonera. Sonera and Elisa especially, receive low customer satisfaction indexes daughter brands. Sonera receives a score of 73,1 and Elisa 70,7. When the reasons for the differences in private customers’ satisfaction with their mobile phone operators are examined, it seems that the customers of “other” brands (Saunalahti, TeleFinland and Kolumbus) seem to give better scores on company image, price-performance ratio and service quality than the customers of their “parent” companies (Sonera and Elisa). 
click for larger version Operators’ service quality is worse than their product quality Concerning operators’ technical quality, all providers seem to work technically well enough. However, all operators’ service quality seems to be much (average 5,3 index points) lower than product quality. Sonera has passed Elisa In the next table and figure, the comparison of the satisfaction indexes to the last year is presented.  
As seen from the table and figure above, the satisfaction indexes have all improved from last year. Sonera has the biggest improvement, +5,6 index points from last year and has passed Elisa. Last year, Sonera’s score was as low as 67,5.
Customer loyalty is different among different operators Although, all mobile phone operators’ private customers' satisfaction has increased from last year, their loyalty indexes have not increased at all so much. Loyalty index is calculated from the questions concerning the respondents’ intention to continue with the same operator and his/her word-of-mouth behavior regarding the operator. The results concerning private customers' loyalty to different operators are presented below.  This year, Elisa seems to have the lowest customer loyalty index of 69,8. It is also 1.6 index points lower than last year. At the same time, Sonera has managed to increase its private customer loyalty index by 2,9 index points. Elisa´s, Sonera’s and also DNA’s loyalty indexes seem to be lower than in the group “Other brands” (77.7). See also the figure below. 
Among the home internet operators best satisfaction scores to Welho Results concerning customers' satisfaction with the home Internet connections 2007 are below.  The best satisfaction scores were given to Welho with an index of 74,3. Next come DNA and Finnet with indexes of 71,9 and 70,8. Elisa and Sonera have the lowest scores 68,2 and 66,3. When the reasons for the differences in customers’ satisfaction among the operators were examined, Welho seemed to receive the best scores from all aspects of consumer decision making process: corporate image, customers´ expectations, technical and service quality, value for money, satisfaction and especially in loyalty. 
click for larger version Over one third of Finnish home Internet users have had reasons to complain to their operator Below is a presentation haw many of the customers have said that, during the last year, they have had at least one reason to complain to their Internet operator, how many has complained, and how many did not bother to complain to their operator.  Totally, 34 per cent of all home Internet users said that, during the last year, they have had at least one reason to complain to their Internet operator. Of all, 19 % have on average complained to their operator and 13 % have not bothered to complain to their operator. In the next table there are indexes for handling of customer complaints for each operator.  Other operators are catching up to Welho In the next table and figure, the comparisons of satisfaction indexes to the last year are presented.  
When comparing to the last year, all Internet operators have received better customer satisfaction scores from their customers than last year.
Sonera vs. Elisa Below is an initial analysis comparing the customer satisfaction indexes of Sonera and Elisa in the different telecom domains. Some of the information is preliminary and some is under final data collection.  With the preliminary data above, the average customer satisfaction index for Sonera would be 66,7 and for Elisa 66,1. The table will be updated, when the final data will be ready. Customer Satisfaction in all Nordic and Baltic Countries The mobile phone operator sector was also examined in the other Scandinavian countries and Baltic countries. In Lithuania and Latvia mobile phone operators have the most satisfied customers. Finland and Estonia follow afterwards with basically equal levels. The customers in Sweden, Norway and Iceland are least satisfied with the mobile phone operators. . 
click for larger version The EPSI study The data for the research was gathered by telephone interviews. The respondents were asked to evaluate the telephone operator they primarily use. The respondents were selected by randomization procedures to participate to the research. The aim is to be able to interview 250 corporate and private customers from each major telephone company on different telecommunication markets: mobile phones, Internet connection, and fixed lines. This research is part of European Customer Satisfaction Research, EPSI Rating. It is coordinated by the Swedish Institute of Quality and the Stockholm School of Economics. European quality organizations are also backing the research. In Sweden, the same methodology has been in use since the year 1984, and it already covers a major portion of the Swedish economy. In Finland as well, it is the intention to gradually expand the research to cover the Finnish economy. Earlier, the results from the Finnish banking industry were released. Later, studies on insurance companies, "do-it-yourself" chains, and electricity companies will be released. The research is coordinated in Finland by Dr. Juhani Kuokkanen. For additional information, please contact: Dr. Juhani Kuokkanen phone: +358 40 5093401, e-mail: juhani.kuokkanen@epsi-finland.org Professor Jan Eklöf phone: +46 7069 64185, e-mail: jan.eklof@epsi-rating.com
Dr. Johan Parmler phone: +46 731 517598, e-mail: johan.parmler@epsi-rating.com
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