• by Aaron Baar , February 2, 2012

More technology equals more problems, at least in the wireless field.

According to J.D. Power and Associates’ semi-annual 2012 Wireless Customer Care Performance study, people who own a 4G-enabled device contact their wireless service providers more often than people who have less feature-rich devices.

“Any new-fangled device can put a strain on the customer service process,” Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services, tells Marketing Daily.

According to the study, 60% of 4G-enabled smartphone owners contacted their wireless providers, compared with 47% of non-smartphone owners and 35% of more traditional feature phone users. Much of that increase can be attributed to a higher level of expectations among those with more sophisticated phones and networks, Parsons says.

“As technology gets more advanced, the expectations get greater as well,” Parsons says. “It’s not unexpected that customers who use new technology or services would be more likely to contact their carrier with questions or problems.”

Ultimately, the knowledge of who might be calling more often is key to wireless service providers because it directly correlates with customers’ spending and recommendations, particularly among 4G device users, who spend an average $36 more a month and are more likely to “definitely recommend” their carriers over users of traditional phones.

“Investment is needed in support services to not only handle the increase in customer interactions, but also to provide service representatives with the necessary training and information across all contact channels in order to offer a timely and superior service experience,” Parsons says. “It takes approximately five minutes more per contact, on average, to resolve issues pertaining to 4G-enabled devices, compared with issue resolution times for traditional phones.”

Among the Wireless providers offering contract services, Verizon Wireless topped the list with an index score of 762 (on a 1,000-point scale). Sprint Nextel was next, with a score of 745. AT&T had a score of 743, and T-Mobile had a score of 739. The contract provider average was 752.