The Role of Customer Service in Telecom Today

As competition continues to increase in the telecom market, customer satisfaction and loyalty are increasingly dependent on the quality of a customer’s journey with a brand and the level of customer support the company provides. In this article, we discuss why customer service is important in telecom today and ways that telecom companies can differentiate themselves from the competition.
 
A Service-Based Business
Unlike a company that sells physical products, a service-based business, such as telecommunications, provides non-physical offers to customers. Since customers can’t see what they’re getting the way they can with physical products, telecommunications companies need to ensure customer service is exceptional in order to stand out from the competition. Since they provide services that customers use on a continuous basis, they need to offer support that keeps them consistently satisfied in order to retain them. 
 
Price Competition
It’s common for telecommunications companies to provide customers incentives to switch brands through pricing and feature offers, which makes maintaining customer loyalty an industry challenge. Having a great customer experience is often the reason customers remain with a company. When an issue occurs with a customer’s product or service, explaining to them why it happened, and how and when it will be resolved is important for helping to create peace of mind for the customer.  
 
More Details to Manage
Telecommunications operations can have many areas to manage including phone, internet and TV. In addition to the data service elements, there are also hardware aspects to consider such as the phones that people carry, or the hardware for setting up an internet connection. Teleco customer service needs to be efficient in helping customers set up services, make appointments with technicians and resolve issues that arise; if not, customers will choose a different company. Simply having to wait too long to get service set up can be a reason to switch. 
 
Consumers Expect More 
In addition to expecting customer support that resolves questions and problems quickly, customers also want more ways to communicate with brands including phone, email, chat, text, and social media. It’s important that customer questions and concerns are quickly answered through every channel. Companies that provide effective, seamless omni-channel experiences to their customers have an edge over the competition and are more likely to retain their customers. An example of creating a good customer experience through AI is Verizon’s Digital CX system. According to an article by ReachOutSuite regarding telecom customer service:
 
“Co-opting new technology such as Artificial Intelligence powered chatbots go a long way in enhancing customer satisfaction. Verizon’s Digital CX blends human and artificial intelligence to deliver personalized experiences to each customer based on previous interactions through email, social media, chat, text, or phone.”
 
Customer Satisfaction Metrics 
Tracking metrics related to telecom customer satisfaction is essential for making sure every customer touchpoint is working effectively and for spotting areas where improvements can be made. Some of the metrics that may be tracked include service response times, website metrics, resolution times, call backs, customer lifetime value, and customer feedback data. 
 
Creating Personalized Interactions
To create a quality customer experience, technology should be balanced with the human touch. According to an article by Techsee on improving customer experience in telecom:
 
“Despite companies spending millions on the technology, 60 percent of callers bypass IVR altogether. Meanwhile 83 percent would avoid a company after a poor experience with an interactive voice response.”
 
To remain competitive, telecom companies need to consistently remain up-to-date with changes in customer expectations and technology, including omni-channel customer service, AI tools, website presence and products and services. To discover new ways your business could improve customer experience to gain advantage in an increasingly competitive telecom market, visit asktelemarketing.com.