Only a small portion of the world's mobile phone subscribers are loyal to their carrier, according to a global study by the Chief Marketing Officer Council.
Of the 1,660 subscribers surveyed in the second quarter, only 34 percent have remained with their current provider for more than five years.
"And this loyalty is increasingly being called into question," the Chief Marketing Officer Council reports, "as customers grow frustrated with more fees, intermittent quality of service, lack of carrier respect, and the frustration of trying to figure out all the options and features of increasingly complex plans."
The study, sponsored by the global technology company Ricoh, found that less than one-third of people (29 percent) polled across all age groups defined themselves as being loyal.
"In contrast, a total of 41 percent of respondents said they were either apathetic, on the fence, or just about gone when it comes to the relationship with their mobile service operator," said the Chief Marketing Office Council, which represents 6,000 senior marketers controlling about $300 billion in aggregated annual spend.
A significant 36 percent of individuals polled said they will cancel their service, according to the study, "What's Critical in the Telecommunications Vertical."
"Consumers are seeking fast, reliable, and predictable access to services and experiences they initiate using their mobile devices," noted Liz Miller, VP of marketing programs for the Chief Marketing Officer Council, in a statement. "While they can't live without their mobile devices, they certainly aren't hesitant to vocalize their dissatisfactions and express their freedom of choice in selecting another service provider."
