Preference on Mobile Phone Service Providers A Study in Coimbatore with Focus on Vodafone

The primary concern of Mobile Phone Service Providers’ (MPSP) is to retain the customers than expanding their horizon with new customers. The promotional methods adopted by the MPSPs have significant impact on the growth of their market share. So, it is important to ascertain the preference of various promotional methods adopted by the MPSPs to reach their customers. This study was done on both Vodafone customers and retailers with the perspective of understanding their preference on various MPSPs, promotional methods and based on Value Added Services (VAS) and the variations if any. It is a descriptive research. The samples taken from Vodafone customers and retailers in Coimbatore by convenience sampling were asked to rank their preference by using a structured questionnaire. The order of preference influencing the respondents was identified by using Garrett's ranking analysis. The respondents preferred Vodafone as the most preferred MPSP and expressed that Television was the most preferred promotional medium of MPSPs to reach their customers. But there was major difference in preferring other promotional methods because of the difference in their roles and needs. On the basis of VAS, the respondents ranked Airtel as the highly preferred, though Vodafone was the most preferred MPSP. From the study, it is suggested that Vodafone, in spite of being the most preferred brand, has to concentrate and pay maximum effort on its VAS on par with its competitors to make its customers happy and retain them.