In the store or online – where do the Swiss buy their cell phone subscriptions?
High time for a new cell phone subscription? Then go to a provider shop! Or maybe not? In the past few years, more and more providers have expanded their offerings to the online world. Today, you don’t need to make more than a few clicks online to take out a new cell phone subscription. But what do the Swiss think is more worthwhile? Online or offline? This is the question alao asked 1000 Swiss aged 25-45 as part of a survey. The study was conducted by means of an online survey representative of German-speaking Switzerland. The result: 56.8% of respondents said they preferred to order their cell phone subscription online. Find out why they prefer to buy mobile subscriptions online and how you can still benefit offline here.
Table of contents
- Take out a cell phone subscription in a store
- Take out a cell phone subscription online
- What is important to Swiss people when it comes to cell phone subscriptions?
- Hurdles when switching to a new plan
- Swiss increasingly buy online
- Conclusion: Those who buy online save money and time
Buying a cell phone subscription in a store
Traditionally, you go to the respective provider store to buy a new cell phone subscription. And this has been the case for over twenty years: The first prepaid SIM card in Europe was launched in Germany in 1996. Shortly thereafter, mobile phone contracts were developed. This turned out to be a huge success for the telecommunications industry, because today there are 8.65 billion cell phone subscriptions worldwide, according to Statista.
Apart from habit, there are many other reasons to buy your mobile subscription in the store, according to our alao survey. 43.4% of respondents said they prefer to buy their mobile phone contract directly in the store. We wanted to know more and asked why exactly they prefer this. These are their top 4 reasons:
1. Professional advice in the store
Around 30.3% of store shoppers cited the professional service in the store as the main reason for their offline shopping. Another 19.9% appreciate the personal contact they have with the sales staff. An additional 13% don’t want to miss the opportunity to ask questions and get answers directly.
So the numbers speak for themselves: more than half of the respondents who prefer offline shopping do so because of the presence of qualified store personnel. According to our survey, this is especially true for people who are not well versed in cell phones and subscriptions.
2. Negotiating discounts
Around 41% of the respondents ranked as very important the lowest possible price when signing up for a subscription. To achieve one, you can negotiate with providers. Especially as an existing customer of a provider, you can save money by talking to them personally. However, you need to be prepared for this. Use cheaper offers from other providers with your desired services as an example to negotiate a lower price. You can find these online on comparison platforms, such as Comparis or the comparison and service portal alao. If you also always pay your bill on time, you have a good chance of achieving a discount through negotiation. Important: Stay persistent! Don’t be fobbed off with the first counteroffer.
3. No tedious cell phone subscription comparison
There are many cell phone subscriptions. Finding the perfect contract for you can be tedious. However, personal advice in the store makes this work unnecessary. You don’t have to research the information of the cell phone subscriptions of all providers and then compare them on your own. The professionals in the store are already well informed about their provider and can show you their different subscriptions, which come into question for you. You no longer have to decide between the subscriptions of all providers and can concentrate on just one. This simplifies the subscription selection and also saves time.
4. Cell phone subscription including device
For many, a new cell phone subscription also includes a discounted smartphone. In the store, you have the opportunity to take a close look at the phones. You can hold them in your hand, try them out and ask questions about them. According to our survey, there’s another plus: you can take the new smartphone home and use it right away. So you don’t have to wait several days for your delivery and can get started right away.
This is what bothers the Swiss about offline shopping
Of course, like all things, offline shopping also has its negative sides. For example, the personal consultation. While some appreciate the service, many lack trust. Respondents to the alao survey said, for example, that salespeople “want to get themselves a bonus” rather than providing you with the ideal subscription. The fear of being “persuaded” by the salesperson to make a purchase was also expressed repeatedly.
In the store, it is also more difficult to make an overall comparison of all offers. On the one hand, because certain providers – e.g. Wingo – only sell their subscriptions online. On the other hand, because many stores are provider-specific and therefore only sell their offers. Furthermore, there are additional costs in the store. For example, in the store you still pay activation fees of about CHF 50, which are often omitted when you buy online. With alao, for example, you never have to pay an activation fee.
Conclude cell phone subscription online
Signing cell phone contracts online is still a relatively recent phenomenon. After all, we are used to signing such contracts in person at the store. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Over the years, the process has been simplified and today you can easily order a cell phone subscription from your couch at home.
There’s a lot to be said for buying online. At least that’s the opinion of 56.8% of the survey participants who prefer to buy their cell phone subscriptions online. We have summarized their top 4 reasons here:
1. Simple and straightforward
Of the 56.8% of respondents who prefer to buy their subscription online, around 39.8% say: Online is easier. 10.2% also find it more convenient. If you buy a cell phone subscription online, you don’t have to be restricted by opening hours or the location of the store. So you can easily order a subscription at 2 a.m. from your bed. Researching is also done quickly, as all the necessary information can be found online with ease.
2. Saving time
In addition to simplicity, the Swiss also appreciate the speed of online shopping, according to the alao survey. Around 25.7% of online shoppers believe that it is much faster to order a cell phone subscription online. This is because you can save time in various places:
- No need to go to the store.
- No waiting times in the store.
- No (sometimes long) sales talk necessary.
At alao, for example, it only takes a few minutes to find a suitable cell phone subscription. In addition, you save time when canceling your old contract, because alao takes care of this work for you.
3. Save up to 73% online
Bargain hunters know: You can find the cheapest deals online without a doubt. In addition to numerous special offers and cashback promotions, the activation fees of about CHF 50, which you have to pay when signing up for a subscription in a store, are usually waived. High-performance cell phone subscription providers such as Wingo, for example, offer their contracts exclusively online. These lower prices are the result of saving on service personnel.
Online, you can save up to 73% when taking out cell phone subscriptions, which corresponds to a value of up to CHF 1000. On average, you can save 47% online at alao, for example, which equals a real saving of CHF 785.- on average due to the additional elimination of the activation fee and other vouchers.
4. Compare the providers
5.6% of online shoppers said they appreciated the comparison options on the Internet. Another 5.5% found this quite convenient. “I can compare and form my own opinion,” one response said. Comparison platforms such as alao help here: as an independent party, they show you the best and cheapest cell phone subscriptions for your needs. In contrast to other platforms, alao allows you to not only make a comparison, but also to take out a subscription right away.
What bothers the Swiss about online shopping
The survey clearly shows that the Swiss save time and money online. The only thing is that they cannot change an existing online offer and have to accept it as it is, whereas existing customers can sometimes negotiate changes with their providers by talking to them in person in the store. Survey participants also said they shy away from signing up for a cell phone subscription online because no questions can be asked if anything is unclear. However, this depends on the platform: Some online stores, like alao, have a customer service team that is there for you every day, answering any questions and helping to clear up any uncertainties.
What is important to Swiss people when it comes to cell phone subscriptions?
With the large selection of cell phone subscriptions in Switzerland, it’s easy to lose track of what’s available. But what is important for the perfect cell phone plan? Of course, it varies from person to person. We all have different needs that the cell phone has to fulfill. According to our survey, however, unlimited calls and data within Switzerland are decisive for a cell phone subscription. Over 90% of respondents rated this as important to very important. Here are the criteria that made it into the top 3:
1. Lowest possible price
The Swiss want to save money on their cell phone subscription: 41% of those surveyed rated the lowest possible price as very important when taking out a cell phone subscription, 34% as important.
2. Customer support
In case of questions, problems or other comments, a contact person is important to most survey participants: for around 26.3%, very good customer support is very important. A further 33.1% rate this as important.
3. discount on a new cell phone
A majority of respondents would also like a discount on a new smartphone when taking out a cell phone subscription: for 22.3%, this is very important and for 26.6%, important.
Hurdles when changing a subscription
Switching cell phone subscriptions should be a simple matter. But for many Swiss, it is apparently not. Around 96.5% of respondents said they had one or more hurdles preventing them from switching contracts.
- 80.1% are currently satisfied with their cell phone subscription.
- 59.3% find switching annoying.
- 52.1% find that switching subscriptions involves too much effort.
- 46.8% shy away from the formalities.
- 33.5% state that they do not have time to change their contract.
Change contract for a lower price
44.1% of respondents would still change their cell phone subscription for an attractive price, despite the hurdles. However, it is important to the majority that a lower price is accompanied by the same or better services as in their current subscription.
15.5%, on the other hand, would switch for a better offer. In other words: better services, lower price and little or no effort to switch. For example, many would like the new provider to take care of contract termination and all formalities. Contract flexibility is also often mentioned here, which means the shortest possible minimum contract period or none at all.
Swiss increasingly buy online
Do the Swiss actually prefer to shop online as a matter of principle? Not yet. According to a survey by the Swiss Retail Federation, the Swiss still preferred to buy in stores in 2021. In fact, 54% of respondents here said they mainly do their shopping in stores. Nevertheless, online shopping is becoming increasingly popular, as in 2019 the number of offline shoppers was still 61%. The number of Swiss people who do their shopping both online and in-store has also risen since 2019, from 32% to around 36%.
What is missing online is the opportunity to test the products before buying them. At least 52% of respondents think so. In addition, the advice in the store is highly valued. The decisive criterion for deciding between an online or offline purchase, however, is the price (37%). All trends that also extend to the purchase of cell phone subscriptions.
Because of Corona the Swiss prefer online purchases
A survey by the company KPMG in January 2021 also showed that around 47% of the Swiss surveyed have increased their online shopping since the pandemic outbreak. Here, the younger, the higher the online spending. For example, a third of 18-24 year-olds spend more than half of their shopping expenditure online.
Conclusion: buying online saves money and time
The ones who buy their mobile subscription online save time and nerves – or at least who uses independent comparison platforms, such as alao, Comparis or Dschungelkompass, in order to find the best offer on the market. alao, as the telecommunications service portal goes another step further and offers an independent subscription comparison, as well as the option to buy a subscription straight away online with a few clicks. At alao, the focus is on the customer experience: The subscription change should be as simple and stress-free as possible. That’s why the platform offers a simple way to compare the best Swiss providers, exclusive discounts and welcome gifts, and also handles the termination and number transfer of old contracts free of charge.
Nevertheless, some people prefer the personal contact that one has in the stores. Especially those who are not very familiar with cell phone subscriptions feel more secure in the store because of the advice they receive. People often forget that online platforms like alao also have customer service that can advise you on your cell phone subscription selection. Apart from that, it would also be worthwhile for shop-goers to find out about the various offers online on comparison portals beforehand. Because salespeople in stores often only know about one provider, it is difficult to get a clear picture of all the offers on the market. So if you’re looking for the best cell phone subscription offer, you should make cross-provider comparisons online. In addition, you can’t be talked into anything in the store if you’ve already read up on the subject yourself.
This survey was put up by alao, find all the details about the survey here (German).
