It’s no secret that Canadian smartphone plans don’t offer a great deal of flexibility. However, according to the latest J.D. Power Wireless Purchase Study, a growing percentage of Canadians have found a way to take back some control over their mobile wireless experience.
The Wireless Purchase Study surveyed almost 7,000 wireless customers and was conducted between August and September 2015 and March 2016.
Of those surveyed, approximately 25 percent purchased their smartphone at a big box store. The majority of phones purchased at large retailers remain unlocked, giving owners greater freedom to switch between carriers as they please.
Half of those who purchased phones at non-speciality retailers received an unlocked device, and were therefore more inclined to switch carriers.
“The purchase of an unlocked device puts more control in the hands of the customer,” said Adrian Chung, director at J.D. Power, in a statement sent to MobileSyrup.
“While the incidence of purchased unlocked phones remains below that of locked phones, the revenue dollars flowing to different retailers can be significant for smartphones in particular, as customers choose to upgrade devices on their own schedule.”
These customers pose the highest risk to carriers primarily because they are more likely to switch, but also because of the smartphone revenues lost to other retailers.
Also outlined in the J.D. Power study was the importance of the purchase experience. The most highly ranked carrier in the country regarding customer satisfaction at the time of purchase is SaskTel. Videotron comes in second followed by Koodo Mobile in third.
[source]J.D. Power[/source]
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