Receiving an award for quality from J.D. Power is a tremendous honor for any organization. They’ve been bestowing them for over 50 years, and the reason they’re so significant is that they provide unbiased ratings based on in-depth studies of actual customer experiences. It’s a demonstration of just how well a company truly serves the people most critical to its success.
With that in mind, I’m thrilled to share that Consumer Cellular has been recognized by J.D. Power as “Highest in Customer Service among Non-Contract Wireless Providers” for the second time in a row! Our overall score was far and away the highest among those of 8 ranked non-contract carriers, according to responses from consumers surveyed from July through December 2016.
Overall, our customer satisfaction score was 871 out of a possible 1,000 points in the study. That put us 74 points ahead of our nearest competitor—and more than 100 points above the average score for all non-contract providers included in the study.
We received our highest rankings for the performance of our live telephone representatives, and our automated response systems (like our “My Consumer Cellular” smartphone app.) For these two, which the study lists as “highest importance” in the overall Customer Satisfaction index, our scores were more than 130 points higher than the next provider.
We’ve always committed ourselves to delivering friendly, knowledgeable and thorough customer support no matter how you contact us, so we’re especially proud to receive accolades from J.D. Power in multiple areas.
We definitely feel we’re off to a great start this year. In January, we once again came out on top of Consumer Reports annual rating of wireless providers, based on research testing and customer polling. Now just over a month later, we’ve been honored with this prestigious recognition from J.D. Power. But rest assured, we won’t stop there—we pledge to continue finding new ways to delight you with our service, so we can continue sharing exciting news like this!
Consumer Cellular received the highest numerical score among providers in the J.D. Power 2016 V2 and 2017 V1 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Non-Contract Performance Studies. 2017 V1 study based on 3,275 total responses, 8 non-contract carriers, and measures the experiences of current customers who contacted their carrier’s customer care department within the past three months, surveyed July–December 2016. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com
I seem to be using lots of “text” and my main means of communication is WHATSAPP…Wonder if THAT is what eats up text ‘time’. Otherwise locally I send small texts to neighbors…want to cut back but need to find out how and what part of texting counts….
I’m happy to provide some additional information, Maricia. A message will be deducted from your plan when you send a message, and when you receive one. You can see how many messages you’re using each day by consulting the My CC app or My Account. If you think that some messages are being counted incorrectly, we’re happy to review your account with you over the phone at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a wonderful day!
Could you provide more detail about what constitutes ‘Messaging’ and ‘web data’? I thought a text was a message but since they are billed separately that is apparently not correct. What is a ‘message’? What are the conditions under which the use of ‘web data’ occurs? How does one control the inadvertent use of ‘web data’? What about the use of WiFi? I thought that if one was connected to wifi then the use of ‘web data’ did not occur. If one’s phone is searching for available WiFi and logging in, does that constitute the use of ‘web data’. I do think Consumer Cellular is a fine service but I’d like to know more about how to control my use. Thanks, Dave
We’re happy to provide more information on the topic, Dave! Message and data are billed together in your Connect plan, but you will see it broken down on your invoice as “messaging” and “web data”. Messages are counted when you send or receive a text. Web data is used when your phone is connecting to the internet via the cellular network instead of using a Wi-Fi connection. It’s always a good idea to connect to Wi-Fi whenever possible, as it allows you to save your data for when you don’t have that connection available. If your Wi-Fi signal is too weak or you lose the connection, you may be using data without realizing it. We recommend turning off background data on your device, which can help. If you like, we can walk you through it over the phone at 888-345-5509, and we can also answer any other questions you may have about your usage. We’re so glad you took the time to comment, and we hope you have a wonderful day!
I live in Vancouver WA. Zip 98684. My cell phone reception is very poor. Any hints for better reception? Using lg g3 d851 smart phone.
We’re sorry to hear that you’re experiencing issues with your reception, Bill. We’re happy to troubleshoot this issue with you and see if some updates or a new SIM card is needed. Please give us a call at 888-345-5509, preferably from another phone if possible. That way, we can walk you through turning your phone off or on during the process if needed. Thank you for reaching out to us, and we look forward to resolving this with you soon!
I have a Moto g4 Phone, Love it. The wireless service that was provided was T-Mobile. have the 250 minute plan with Unlimited text and 3G’s of data, cost $48 per month with tax. One day went to mall, dropped in to a T-Mobile store. The price they quoted me $55. for unlimited talk text and 10G’s per month. With contract I think. I am 68 years young fairly tech knowledgeable. What gives? I think we are being taken advantage of. Great customer service. That is the only reason I am hanging on.
We appreciate you taking the time to comment, David. We find that our customers are best served by no-contract service that provides them with the flexibility they need. Many people find that they may need 3GB’s of data once month, but only 1GB the next. With our plans, you can make the switch to a smaller plan at any time, even on the last day of your billing cycle. After all, we wouldn’t want you to pay every month for data you aren’t using. Combined with our award-winning customer service, we think our plans provide a lot of value, which is what we’re all about. We’re happy to talk with you about your plan and see if there is a better fit for you at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you being a Consumer Cellular customer, and we hope to serve you for years to come!
Are you the only non contract company ??
Thank you for asking, John. There are other companies out there that offer a variety of options to their customers. We never make you sign a contract, and we don’t make you “pre-pay” for your service. You’ll have the option of flexible plans that put you in control. If you’re ready to sign up or if we can answer any other questions you may have about our service, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a lovely day!
I thought I signed up for membership before but I never heard from AARP
Thank you for checking in with us, Herbert. We recommend checking with AARP to better understand the status of your membership. That way, you’ll get to enjoy the exclusive member benefits! If we can answer any questions you may have about your account, please feel free to call us at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you taking the time to post!
Hello! A question about text messages that include a photo or GIF. Let’s say that I receive a text message from my daughter (while on the cellular and not WiFi network) that includes a picture or animated GIF – is that chargeable as a text message, or as a text message and data message?
Thank you for asking, Tom! When you send a photo or video in a message, it is considered a multi-media message. These are counted against your text message plan, and don’t require data. If you have any other questions about messaging or data, just give us a call at 888-345-5509 and we will be happy to help you! We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a great day!
How do I set my Moto g4 so I’m not using my data, have wifi set and background data restricted? Not sure what I’m doing wrong. Battery doesn’t hold a charge, don’t use it for a day and charge almost 0.
Thank you for posting, Joan. If you want to completely disable data and only use Wi-Fi, you’ll want to follow these steps. Start by going to your Settings app, then selecting “Data Usage”. Then you’ll want to slide the button at the top to the “Off” position. You’ll also want to make sure the option for “Background data” is unchecked so that it is disabled as well. Once you do that, you’ll want to connect to Wi-Fi to access the internet and email. As for the battery issue, it sounds like we will need more information to properly troubleshoot that for you. Please call us at 888-345-5509, and we can review your settings with you to see if we can remedy that as well. We appreciate you taking the time to post today, and we look forward to speaking with you!
I wish consumer provide more self services online. The call waiting time is always more than 10 minutes
We do apologize for any inconvenience, Cesar. There are many self-serve options available in My Account, especially if you’re calling to make an adjustment to your plan or update information. If more support is needed, we’re always happy to assist you over the phone. I’ve passed your feedback regarding the hold time on to our team, and please know we are working to reduce that as much as possible. New employees are being trained now so that we’ll have more account advisors than ever available to our customers. Thank you for taking the time to post, and we hope you have a wonderful day!
I have been getting multiple partial texts from the same number that I can’t identify. Is there any way for me to block out the offending number. Tks, Bill
Thank you for posting, Bill. Unfortunately, your smartphone doesn’t have the ability to block unwanted text messages. If you think the messages could be spam, we’re happy to discuss some options with you at 888-345-5509 at your convenience. We appreciate you taking the time to post today!
I HATE Cell phone carriers, ALL of them, but I LOVE Consumer Cellular. I’ve had very bad experiences in the past with the “big” carriers. NEVER an issue with CC, you guys ROCK!!! There is nothing like a US based, English speaking and UNDERSTANDING agent who actually listens!!!! Any time I call, you guys help. I’m astounded every time. I love it. The ONLY issue I have is that there is no way for me to call another CC customer, like family members and have it not cost minutes. You know, like “friends and family”, but that’s the ONLY minor issue. I am out of state on vacation, visiting family, and no service issues. Very well done.
That’s great to hear, Fred! We certainly enjoy having you as a customer. I’m happy to pass your suggestion for a “friends and family” option on to our team. Thank you so much for posting, and enjoy your vacation!
I want to upgrade our two phones, and the instructions say to “click on the add/replace under the phone you want to replace”, however it doesn’t appear under my phone numbers in the app. I have tried to call CC and always encounter a “15-20 min wait”. I just don’t have that kind of time! When will CC carry the IPhone 8 or X? Or will I have to switch back to Verizon, as much as I hate to? Thanks for the help
Thank you for posting, Ellen. We’re sorry to hear that the app isn’t working for you at this time. You can also login to My Account from our website, which will allow you to upgrade your devices. We will be offering the new iPhone models, so we recommend checking our site to see if the size and color of your choosing is available. If we can be of any further help, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and hope you have a lovely day!
The Powers award is UNDESERVED. I’ve been waiting for connection of my second phone, which was brought over from AT&T early last week. So the phone number has been in Consumer Cellular’s system for one week now. First, I tried a SIM Card from the local Target store. On 6/12, they told me that the AT&T phone I was using would not transfer. So I had to buy a CC phone instead. Package with phone came on 6/15. Since 6/15, I’ve been trying to get service. Last I heard a supervisor was supposed to call me back (yesterday). Nothing. They clearly have no idea now to fix this.
Thanks for reaching out, Mary. If you’re still having trouble with your new phone, please give our activations team a call at 888-345-5509.
We cannot quarrel with your J.D. POwer award, but would like to suggest something.
We have been paying our bills via U.S. mail which have delivered late.
Most businesses have provisions for paying on-line via electronic checking from bank accounts, but Consumer Cellular does not.
WHY NOT ?
Please respond.
Thank you for posting, J.R. We do have a few different options for paying electronically if that better meets your needs. Please give us a call at 888-345-5509 and we will be happy to provide more information and select the right option for you. We appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us, and we look forward to speaking with you soon!
I changed my landline over, how do I setup the voice mail?
I can help you with that, Leonard. You’ll just want to press and hold the “1” button your home phone. This will take you into the Voicemail system, which will walk you through setting up our mailbox and creating a passcode. If you run into any issues, please give us a call at 888-345-5509 and we will be happy to assist you further. Thank you for posting today!
My phone (samsung galaxy J3) makes calls and connects but the person answering can’t hear me. My voice is heard if I receive a call. Is there a fix or do I need a new phone.
Hi David, thanks for your post. I see that you spoke to Bonnie, an account advisor, earlier today and the issue was resolved. If this comes up again, please give us a call at 800.686.4460 and have your cell phone handy so we can continue troubleshooting.
I have tried four days in a row to have my phone fixed. Nothing suggested has worked and in fact the last set of complicated instructions for a reset involving the power button and volume control did absolutely nothing and could not be completed. My phone is still broken – it doesn’t ring at all now. It takes over 20 minutes on hold to speak with a person and then I get terrible advice.
We’re very sorry to hear that you weren’t able to get the help you needed earlier, Kay. I reviewed your account, and I see that you also reached out to us on our Facebook page. Our team was able to assist you there, and help you start the warranty process. If we can assist you with anything else at this time, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. Our account advisors will be happy to help you with whatever you need. Thank you for taking the time to comment, and we hope you have a wonderful day!
The apple 7+ was dropped and it did have a protective phone case. But it shattered into pieces but is still useful as a phone but need fixed and I have apple care +. we cant wait too long because I am afraid it will worsen. Please advise
We’re so sorry to hear that your phone is broken, Kathleen. AppleCare+ can really come in handy in situations like this. I reviewed your account, and I see that you were able to speak with Maleak, one of our Account Advisors, and get the information needed to start a claim. If we can assist you with anything else at this time, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. Thank you for taking the time to post!
I called cust. svc. last week concerning my bill and increase of bill by 10$. Was told I went over usage amt. and was told that I would be returned to old price on account. Looked at account today and it was not old price but higher price by 10$+. Why ?
Thank you for posting, Clint. We apologize for any confusion. Your account was automatically upgraded to ensure that you were on the best plan for your usage. You can adjust your plan in the next billing cycle if you like, however, it isn’t automatic. We’re happy to make any changes to your plan or answer any other questions you may have at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a great day!
I travel to Washington Iowa west side and experience no reception outside at the Kirkwood regional Center. I use the ATT type chip; will another chip work better?
Great question, Jim. We’re happy to look at the coverage there in more detail and see if a new SIM would provide you with a better experience. Just give us a call at 888-345-5509 at your convenience, and we can send a new SIM card to you if needed. Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us today!
First, I love the service….however, I would like to see the first voice plan minutes returned to 750 minutes at $15.00 like it was when I started. the drop from 750 to 250 was one h— of a price increase. I would be fine with 600 minutes, 550 minutes or 500, but going from 750 to 250 is touch.
That’s great feedback, David. Thank you for sharing your suggestion, and I’ve passed it on to our management team for review. We are constantly evaluating our plans to make sure that our customers are getting the best value, and suggestions like yours are very helpful in doing so. If we update or change our plans in the future, we’ll be sure to provide notice here on the blog and through other communications as well. Thank you for posting, and we hope you have a great day!
I’ll like to bring up a situation that bothers me quite a bit. This is the continued “voicemail” from 1-805-637-7456. Everybody knows that it is sent to T-Mobil and Consumer Cellular customer. It appears the purpose of these calls is to force you to consume talk time. That the only way to delete it is by, first, listening to it. (If you block it, they use another #) I will like to see you block this # from the system. If you, Consumer Cellular, don’t have the technology necessary to deal with a situation like this, I will have to consider another solution to this problem. I intent to share this information with my “friends” in the social networks.
Thank you for posting, Enrique. We understand the frustration of unwanted calls, and encourage you to register your phone number with the Do Not Call registry if you have not already done so. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to block incoming calls to your device. If you are using a smartphone, there are many apps available that allow you to block specific numbers, and that allow you to avoid calls from known scam phone numbers. We’re happy to discuss this with you further if you like at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us today!
Why does Customer Service no have a Live Chat option? When you call, you have to wait over 1 hour for a live person. I can’t get the phone activated and this problem resolved. Some of the Customer Service people are good; some are horrible and don’t know how to activate the phones.
We apologize for the wait you experienced, Denise. If you’re activating a new device, you can call us at 888-345-5509, or do so in the My Account section of our website. Thank you for your patience, and for your feedback. We look forward to assisting you!
Why is my phone not working???? It says call not completed, How am I supposed to use my phone??? I sick and tired of waiting a half hour to talk to someone, this is the worst service I’ve ever had and I’ve been a customer for years
We apologize for any frustration you’ve experienced while troubleshooting this issue, Donald. I reviewed your account, and I see that we’ve been working with you to resolve the problem. Per our conversation with you, it can take up to 72 hours to reuse a SIM card. We’re happy to provide an update if you like at 888-345-5509 and assist you further if needed. Thank you for your patience, and for reaching out to us today!
I NEVER post reviews BUT…
I have just switched my phone service to Consumer Cellular (CC), today. I can’t believe what the customer service reps at CC had to go through. I ended up speaking with 4 different reps, all of whom were extremely pleasant and went way beyond routine customer service to get my phone activated due to such a poor service provider on the other end!! With repeated phone calls to the old service provided and from CC it took well over 2 hours THROUGH NO FAULT OF CONSUMER CELLULAR. I can not say thank you enough!!! You guys are the BEST and I look forward to using your service, knowing that IF I ever have a problem, it will be quickly addressed. Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, and I will be sure to pass your kudos on to our account advisors! We’re excited to welcome you to Consumer Cellular, and we look forward to providing you with excellent service for many years to come.
I have been a Consumer Cellular customer for years and have been pleased with the service until recently. I have called three times in the past 10 d to 2 weeks to add a line. The first two times I gave up after 30 minutes on hold. The third time was 55 minutes on hold. Over the past couple year when I have called, the customer service reps have been inconsistent with their answers. More than one rep have informed me that they have more reps in training and they have over three million customers. Stop advertising and offering credits for additional lines and customers if you cannot keep up. Please do not send me closed ended surveys to review my experiences if you want true feedback…or maybe you don’t.
We appreciate your feedback, Laura, and I’m very sorry for the inconvenience you experienced. Please know that we are hiring and training more representatives so that we can reduce any time spent waiting by our customers. I reviewed your account, and I see that Gabriela, our account advisor, was able to assist you in adding your new line. If we can be of any further help at this time, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. Thank you for your patience, and we hope you have a lovely day!
I called about 4 pm today to have a lost phone taken out of suspension. Gave a call back number. Waited til 5:30…no call, so I called back. Have now been on hold 38 minutes! Is there some way I can do it on the website? If I ever leave CC it will be because of not being able to contact with you in a reasonable time. It would help a lot if you had live chat! CC has great customer service reps, when one can talk to them! I appreciate the USA based representatives, plans, cost, etc., but…………
(It has now been 45 minutes!)
Thank you for posting, Shirley! We really appreciate your patience as we have been experiencing some higher than usual call volume due to the holidays. I was able to take a look at your account, and I see that Janet, our account advisor, was able to reactivate your device. I’m happy to pass your suggestions regarding other forms of communication on to our management team, as we are always looking for new ways to assist our customers. Please don’t hesitate to call us again at 888-345-5509 if we can do anything else for you at this time. Thanks again for reaching out to us, and we hope you have a lovely day!
Thank you (susan?) for helping me get my replacement phone, my faith in consumer celluar is restored. ☺
We’re so glad to hear it, Michael! Be sure to let us know if we can assist you further at any time. Have a lovely day!
I have enjoyed being with Consumer Cellular for several years and have found everyone to be pleasant & helpful. My family has just surprised me with a new smart phone and a family plan which will be free for me with another provider. How blessed am I? Thank you, Consumer Cellular for excellent service!
I have been with CC for about 8 month and have never been over my data limit. I went on vacation and the place we stayed at did not have WiFi. We went over our data limit and CC throttled our data. It is throttled so much that I can’t do anything. I can’t even open the CC app to check my account. I understand the need to throttle data after a certain point but this is ridiculous! If I go over again I will be switching carriers. Please consider not throttling the data so much.
We appreciate your feedback, Brian, and I’m happy to pass it on to our management team for review. If you like, we can review your usage with you and discuss this further at 888-345-5509. Thank you for posting, and we hope to speak with you soon!
Called customer service three times yesterday and the last person I talked with had no patience. I sent an email only to get a canned response. Not happy about this situation and you need to tell your people to listen more actively.
We’re very sorry to hear that, Curtis, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Our customer service team will use this as a training opportunity, so thank you for sharing your experience with us. If we can help resolve the issue or answer a question, please give us a call at 888-345-5509. Thanks once again, and we look forward to assisting you!
I just spoke with a CC customer service agent, I believe his name was Josh. Josh and I did not hit it off well at all. I called to find out about what might be the best process to upgrade from our iPhone 5c to a iPhone 7s. Josh immediately wanted to “sign me up”. Josh repeatedly talked over me and after listening to him explain what he thought I should want to know. I asked if we could move to discussing what I wanted to know. I then explained what I needed to accomplish and what I needed to know to accomplish it. I asked then for Josh’s response. He then asked if it was “okay for him to talk again”. I was tired of his lack of listening skills and his lake of customer service skills and told him it was probably best we end the call. No helpful input obtained and no progress made in moving toward a resolution.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Me, and we’re sorry that our account advisor wasn’t able to assist you, and we will be sure to use this as a training opportunity. We’re committed to an excellent customer experience, so thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’re happy to help you and listen to your concerns at 888-345-5509, so please feel free to give us a call at your convenience. Thank you for your patience, and we hope you have a lovely day!
Has there been a management change in the Customer Service Department? They used to be the best.
Thank you for your feedback, Frank. We continue to be committed to customer service excellence, and we apologize if that was not your experience. Please give us a call at 888-345-5509, and we will be happy to review what happened, and work with you to address any issues with your device or account. Thanks for taking the time to post, and we appreciate your patience.
I’m an ER nurse (RN) with 40+ years caring for people. Retired, I volunteer with the Red Cross. In California, 2500 people are in Red Cross shelters because of the wild fires. I’m in NY, I’m waiting for my “deployment orders” to California. But data is not working on my new, 1 week old, personally supplied phone. It’s Sunday night, 8pm in NY.
I call the help line. The computer leads me through the help algorithm and in 1 minute I’m speaking to a patient, soft spoken, knowledgeable gentleman who is, clearly, working with only one customer: Me.
He has me enter the necessary figures in settings, on a phone that Consumer Cellular does not sell, and I’m on my way. Since I picked up the phone to call for help, about 8 or 9 minutes have elapsed.
This is GOLD.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Peter. We will be sure to reach out to the advisor who assisted you and make sure they are recognized for a job well done. We’re proud supporters of the Red Cross, so thank you for all you do in your volunteer efforts. We wish you the best!
I am a new customer to consumer cellular. Charlie, a technician in Arizona was very, very helpful in helping me set up / transfer my new account from T-Mobile. He very patiently walked me threw the entire process of dumping T-Mobile (yeah!) and getting set up with Consumer Cellular. It took some time, and at times it was a little frustrating (T-Mobile was not helpful at all), but Charlie was extremely patient, friendly, professional and helpful.
That’s wonderful to hear, Jim! We’re so glad that Charlie was able to assist you, and we will make sure that he is recognized for a job well done. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, and we look forward to serving you for years to come!
Yesterday I called CC for help in making my phone view photos. The individual acted like he could do it, but he also knew I did not buy the phone from CC. He failed to make it open photos. All he would say is ‘We do not guarantee all services to work unless you buy one of our phones”. I told him to forget guarantee and make it work! My phone is an unlocked phone that works on GSM networks which is what CC is! I do not believe CC wants phones not bought from them to work completely as was demonstrated yesterday. The proof came this morning when I went into the phone and compared the data for a network already in my phone to the data he had me input for CC network. I am NOT phone smart by any means! I found he failed to tell me of some data I needed to put in. In fact, he said I did not need to put anything else in. That was a lie!!! After I put in the other data he told me did not need to be done, the phone works. Beware of CC!!!!
Hi Daniel, thank you for the valuable feedback regarding your experience. We will pass this on to management to review as it definitely sounds like we could have done better. I’m sorry we weren’t able to get this resolved in one call but I’m so glad to hear your phone is working now. If we can help you in the future please let us know. Have a great day!
I recently had a major firm-ware up date on both of the Motorola G-5 Plus phones and all of a sudden nothing work very well. I called CC and talked with Joshua and he walked me through the entire process and got both phones going and was very helpful ! !
I also needed some more help later on and Danial helped with the up grade and all is fine now. The CC service is just great and most every time I have called, the folks are great to work with, so this means alot in picking a carrier service!
Thank you CC for a great service!
That’s great to hear, Jeff, and we’ll be sure to recognize Joshua and Daniel for their great work. If we can assist you with anything else at this time, please don’t hesitate to call us. Have a great day!
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GOOD SERVICE AND CUSTOMER REPS WHO TREAT YOU WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY.
It is an honor to be apart of the Consumer Cellular family.
Elaine
Thank you, Elaine! I will be sure to pass along your kind words as it helps us when we know we have truly made a difference to those we serve each and every day.