Consumer Reports: AT&T Ranks Worst in Customer Service

The annual Consumer Reports study ranking cell service providers is out, and AT&T ranked as the worst in customer service experiences. The other major U.S. carriers fared much better, however, with Verizon coming in third behind smaller regional carriers.

AT&T ranks at bottom of CR satisfaction surveyAT&T ranks at bottom of CR satisfaction survey

The research group surveyed 63,235 cell service subscribers who gave AT&T an overall score of 62 out of 100. T-Mobile fared only slightly better with a score of 64, and Sprint earned a 66. Verizon managed to earn a 72, ranking fourth behind Consumer Cellular, U.S. Cellular and Credo Mobile.

"Of the four major U.S. national cell-phone standard service providers, Verizon Wireless led the pack, receiving favorable scores for voice and data service quality, and also for support attributes like staff knowledge and resolution of issues. Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T each received mostly middling to low marks, particularly for voice and text service quality," the Consumer Reports team said.

Despite AT&T's lower ranking, it still came out on top for its 4G LTE network, beating out Verizon.

"AT&T was lowest-Rated overall, but its 4G LTE network was rated the most favorably of any carrier," Consumer Reports said in a statement. "Its users reported the fewest problems with that higher-speed service, which most new smart phones now use."

Verizon topped AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint for its knowledgable staff and ability to resolve issues, and for voice call and wireless data service quality.

While AT&T may have come in last overall in the survey, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have little room for bragging. None of the big carriers received glowing reviews from customers, and with their rankings clustering close together, they all fell well behind satisfaction with smaller regional carriers.