You can’t ignore it anymore.
As a Telco, you’ve probably experienced sudden product and service cancellations. You don’t understand it.
Doesn’t everyone need technology? Isn’t the internet a regular thing now?
So what’s the reason for the increase in churn?
Yes. Everyone needs technology, but your customers want more from you.
The reality is that 9 out of 10 people perceive their Telco provider as a utility company.
Even worse?
The 10th person has probably changed their mind about needing your services.
A recent decline in households’ income due to the pandemic has also contributed to churn.
So, how do you stand out?
How do you keep your customers and attract more? It takes enhanced customer experience (CX) in telecoms.
According to Deloitte, Telcos need to boldly position themselves to thrive. Moreover, to retain customers, businesses need tailored services, conversational experiences, and hyper-personalized offerings.
CX in telecoms is more than customer service.
Customer experience goes above and beyond and is proactive, while customer service is reactive.
So what’s the catch?
Telcos have to change. They need to adapt and leverage technology. For example, telcos can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver personalized services to their customers.
But first, let’s take a look at a quick reality check.
How Can I Improve My Customer Experience In Telecoms?- The Reality Check
This reality check is a wake-up call.
Digital transformation has finally become an ultimatum for survival.
The industry has undergone a radical evolution that was unimaginable decades ago.
However, many industry leaders have not been so quick to embrace digital transformation regarding the customer experience, thus disruptive players.
Most organizations are still utilizing legacy systems and models with hastily added web interfaces.
The truth?
These interfaces don’t do enough to help customers find the products, services, and content they are looking for…and it’s beginning to show.
Here’s a harsh reality.
The Telco industry forecast has stagnated. Moreover, a global downturn has led to many households in the developed world facing less income.
Churn is soaring. The industry is also facing a Customer experience (CX) crisis corrosive to healthy, long-term, profitable customer relationships.
However, all is not lost.
This reality presents Customer Experience (CX) leaders’ perfect opportunity to shake up the established landscape. They can stride ahead by offering exceptional omnichannel customer experiences.
The result?
These customer experiences would help guide customers to what they need —while driving higher Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), Net promoter score (NPS), and retention.
So, what exactly can Telecom companies do?
The CX opportunity for telcos is about reasserting your rightful place as a company that makes your customers’ lives better by providing personal, frictionless, conversational customer experiences. It means being data-driven and helping customers find what they’re looking for in the moments that matter most.
So how do you achieve this?
Let’s explore strategies to reduce churn with a better customer experience.
5 Strategies to Reduce Churn With Better Customer Experience
Omnichannel Customer Service
The omnichannel customer experience includes multiple customer touchpoints across various channels. The goal is the seamless connection of the channels. This process allows customers to move back and forth from one experience to another on any device and platform.
For example, a customer would communicate via web, voice, or even chat seamlessly without starting over. Today’s customer increasingly expects Omnichannel customer experience.
So how can you deliver this?
Choose tools that have omnichannel support.
AI-Based Digital Tools
AI helps businesses to increase customer service efficiency and improve CX by surpassing human capabilities.
Telco agents can seamlessly access customer data across platforms, with the system collecting insights, learning from them, and improving its performance over time.
For example, Telcos can use AI tools like Zoovu to transform their customer experiences.
This tool engages, educates, and empowers customers.
How? By turning every search moment into meaningful, contextual conversations that deliver.
For instance, Telco companies can send service recommendations to potential customers even when they aren’t ready to buy. This process is useful for service upsells and is likely to acquire and retain customers.
Visual Engagement
Visual engagement involves using an optical communication channel by a customer service organization to facilitate issue resolution.
Remote customer assistance technology, powered by AI, can allow agents to see what the customer sees precisely.
With the ability to visualize the customer’s environment either offline or in real-time, customer service agents can point, annotate and visually guide the customer, resulting in a faster and more effective call resolution and a more satisfying customer experience.
Specifically, for Telcos, when it comes to new customers or those who need upgrades to existing service: consider using visual configurators and guided selling/support. This can help customers understand if they need wifi or cell reception extenders in their home to ensure full coverage as the average UK/US consumer has 10-11 internet-enabled devices in their homes.
Customer-Centric Culture in Real-time
A customer-centric culture places the customer at the heart of the organization.
This demands enhanced customer experience while ensuring a positive experience at all sales stages.
For a customer-centric culture to be successful, it requires the use of supporting technology. Putting your customer first drives repeat business, increases customer loyalty, and boosts profits.
That’s good news, right?
The Human Touch
Surprisingly, some companies are bucking the digital trend.
These companies have dedicated teams of customer care representatives who offer quick, efficient assistance on a wide range of topics, from the most basic to the highly complex. Team members are all up to date on customer issues.
Customers still appreciate the human touch in this digital age.
However, these companies still need digital tools in their process. For example, customer representatives need an efficient customer database to serve their clients efficiently.
AI-based Tech can support even the human touch.
Keep Your Competitive Edge
Every Telco needs to accept that churn is a reality.
So how do Telcos reduce churn while increasing the average revenue Per User (ARPU)? Enhanced Customer experience (CX) in Telecoms is the only way.
Whatever strategy you use, choose a reliable partner.
Take a virtual tour and explore Zoovu.
Your customers will thank you….and so will your bottom line.