Fighting wireless churn

The top five U.S. wireless operators saw nearly a quarter of their subscribers leave them in the past four quarters. These customers weren't giving up wireless service; they were going to other carriers they perceived as having more to offer. With more than nine out of 10 U.S. online consumers owning a mobile phone today, wireless operators must focus on winning over their competitor's best customers without forfeiting their own, according to a recent report from Forrester Research.

It's not the fancy devices and latest features that are having the biggest influence on carrier choice; it's the basics. Forrester found that the majority of consumers are most swayed by service quality and value. While carriers can advertise these features — and they do, ranking among the top-spending advertisers — that won't influence customers either. To win and keep subscribers, Forrester recommends starting a dialogue with new consumers to find out what motivates — and irks — them and offering rewards in the form of content, discounts or accessories for this communication. Carriers also can reward their loyal customers with free trial periods of applications that will gradually advance their data usage, right-size a new customer's service plan and proactively manage future costs, and — more than anything — step up their customer care game across the board.