I AM currently looking into customer service in the mobile telecommunications market, and initial research of mobile subscribers reveals that a number of contracted customers are unhappy with the service they receive.

This is reflected in the national figures, where around 20 per cent of customers who sign up with either Cellnet, Vodafone, Mercury One-2-One or Orange leave as soon as their contract is up.

All the mobile phone operators claim to have extensive customer care and support facilities for users, but are they actually taking care of customers' needs and problems?

One person I interviewed had their calls cut off without prior warning; something that would never happen with BT.

It is interesting to note that had that person bought their mobile phone for security, so that they could call for help in an emergency, then the mobile phone company who cut the calls would be placing them in undue danger.

Another person who bought a phone from a certain mobile dealer told them his phone's sound quality was poor. Their reply was that it had nothing to do with them and blamed it on the mobile phone operator.

I could mention several other instances of customers dissatisfied with the customer service they receive and would like to hear if readers have had similar problems with mobile telephone companies.

I will be interested in all replies, as it is my intention to approach the mobile companies on the problems and complaints I receive.

DAVID WICKS, Room F1, Manchester School of Management, UMIST, M60 1QD, Telephone 0161 434 6099.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.