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Verizon customers experienced the least amount of time on hold, followed by Alltel, T-Mobile and AT&T. Sprint was not mentioned and has been restructuring its support after developing a reputation for below-average service. Customers report that Verizon performed particularly well in resolving problems in one contact.

"The fact that Verizon Wireless performs well in resolving issues with one contact is particularly noteworthy," said Kirk Parsons, Senior Director of J.D. Power and Associates. "Overall customer care performance is three times higher among customers whose issues were resolved in one contact over the phone, compared with those who had to contact their provider more than once for the same issue."

The study also found that the average time wireless customers spent on hold before speaking with a customer service representative in 2008 was 4.4 minutes - up 34 percent from the average hold time in 2003 (3.3 minutes).

Forty-nine percent of wireless customers have contacted the customer care service center for assistance within the past year - an increase from 47 percent reported six months ago. Additionally, among customers who contacted the service department, 34 percent did so due to service / equipment issues.