AT&T striving to retain customers through new loyalty program

AT&T is testing a new program designed to reward and retain customers through a series of potentially tempting perks.

Known as AT&T Plus, the program would offer a "preferential" customer support number, waived upgrade fees, waived activation fees on a second line, and 25 percent off non-Apple accessories, according to a report from The Verge.

Citing AT&T documentation from an unnamed source, The Verge report noted that the service is just starting to roll out to customers in Colorado, Minnesota, and Texas that "meet (as yet) unknown criteria."

Someone posting on the MacRumors forum yesterday claimed to have received an AT&T Plus membership card listing the same benefits detailed by The Verge but added that AT&T would also "provide access to special events and exclusive product announcements."

In a statement to CNET, an AT&T spokesperson confirmed the pilot program but offered no details.

"We're trialing a pilot loyalty program, called AT&T Plus, with a select group of our wireless customers to get their feedback on their interest in this type of program and the benefits they'd like to have from us. Right now, this is only a trial, but based on what our customers tell us, it may be something we look to roll out more widely in the future. It's an example of our ongoing efforts to deliver a great experience for our customers."

Customer loyalty is a major challenge for mobile carriers. Survey results released yesterday by consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers found that customers are becoming less loyal, noting that the average length of "postpaid customer relationships" dropped to 48 months last year from 59 months in 2010.