The Game of Acquiring and Losing Customers

Cellular services industry in India has been growing at a remarkable rate. Entry of many global telecom brands and the introduction of mobile number portability (MNP) further added to the fire. Acquiring and retaining consumers has become a battle that can never be won by any single operator. This paper attempts to study the customer preference levels for different brands of mobile services and the features that affect preferences. The sample comprises of 700 customers using the services of the seven popular mobile service providers in Warangal region of Andhra Pradesh. Primary data on preference levels and the service features is collected through self designed questionnaire. The responses were analyzed with Chi Square test with SPSS-19. The findings reveal that only four brands enjoy considerable preference due to network quality and low tariffs and other brands face the threat of customer migration despite attractive service features