Verizon Wireless Rises to The Top — Consumers See Why

Verizon Wireless remains the leader in cell phone carriers, with customers reporting fewer problems with Verizon than with its competitors. Of course, this does not mean that Verizon mobile phones and services are without problems, but what it does mean is that Verizon may well be one of the best wireless providers out there.

In short, strongly consider Verizon Wireless before you look elsewhere. Having cornered more than one-fourth of the cellular phone market, Verizon mobile phones rates certainly are competitive; however, they are not the cheapest.

Topping Verizon’s list of most popular plans is America’s Choice 300 plan with unlimited nights and weekends and unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes, as well as 400 non-peak minutes (more than 10 off-peak minutes every day) for less than $40 a month. This plan may be best suited for a casual user who does not do a great deal of traveling or make a multitude of long distance phone calls.

Verizon Wireless cellular phone users also favor the America’s Choice 700 plan, which allows for 1,000 peak minutes, along with 5,000 non-peak minutes, for around $100 a month. Similar to this Verizon plan is the America’s Choice FamilyShare plan under $150 a month, which allows for 700 peak minutes and unlimited off-peak minutes, with additional lines costing $20.

In a recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports, Verizon did the best when compared to other cell phone carriers, with overall customer satisfaction higher. The survey examined a lull in service areas, the frequency of dropped calls, static on cell phone calls and busy circuits. Because these tests conducted in major U.S. cities, we took to the back roads of the Carolinas to see for ourselves how Verizon cellular phones held up in areas that certainly don’t boast a great number of cellular towers (or people, for that matter). What we found to be true was that Verizon performed uncommonly well, and proved to be more consistently reliable than even its toughest competitors (including Cingular, Nextel, AT&T, Sprint and Alltel Wireless).

It is important to remember, though, that Verizon mobile phone, which boasts the highest levels of customer satisfaction, also boasts fewer problems with service availability and overloaded circuits, which we certainly found to be true.

Verizon has a low customer turnover rate (just over 20%), yet many Verizon customers complain about billing confusion and second-rate customer service. So, considering this, we gave Verizon’s Customer Service folks a call ourselves. Admittedly, the plans they detailed were different that the literature we picked up in the local Verizon mobile store and there seemed to be a great deal of confusion concerning coverage in Canada. However, we found the customer service agent to be helpful, just confused about billing information, some coverage issues, etc.

Another plus for Verizon is the Verizon cell phones, some of which double as push-to-talk walkie-talkies, which is great for two people working together on a project. Also, some of the Verizon mobile phones plan tie wireless service in with regular local and long distance calling and also offer high-speed Internet access. The Verizon cellular phones offer all the standard features; some are equipped to double as cameras, have speakerphone capabilities, Web access, Verizon ring tones, and more.

Verizon cell phone also offers single-year contracts, which is a smart choice for any consumer because cellular phone plans can be confusing and laden with hidden charges and unexpected fees. This is exactly why it is highly recommended that cellular phone purchasers seek out one-year contracts their first time around. This allows you the time you need to adequately critique the company’s plans and cellular phones. And, if you are less than satisfied, you can change cellular phone carriers after just 12 months, hopefully better equipped to make a more informed decision regarding your cell phone plan, based on your experiences over the last year.

About the Author

Kellie Fowler is an award-winning freelance writer who spends her winters in the U.S. and her summers in Canada, where she enjoys her 6 rescue pets, kayaking, fly-fishing, reading and writing. She is the owner of Write Solutions, a full-service writing company. Kellie currently freelances for several international groups and Fortune 500 companies, as well as well-known national magazines and newspapers.