Wireless Industry Complaints Closely Related to Competition, Say Panelists

What's the greatest source of dissatisfaction in the mobile wireless industry? Ironically, according to industry experts and government representatives attending a conference on customer complaints, it is competition itself. The size and pervasiveness of the mobile device market has exploded. In the space of just 17 years, the number of active mobile subscribers in the United States has exploded from 11 million to 276 million. An increased number of complaints have accompanied this market growth. Why does market growth and competition lead to complaints? Several factors may be at work, panelists said. As mobile hardware becomes more and more varied and creation of applications continues, consumers' expectations increase, leading to complaints. Speaking about the success of Apple's iPhone, Lois C. Greisman of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission commented that, "if [the iPhone] hadn't become so successful we wouldn't have this many complaints. We sort of get a leapfrogging effect with the competition of companies like Verizon."