A new poll says the vast majority of telecommunications industry executives consider the ability to anticipate subscribers’ needs and proactively and personally interact with users is critical for effectively managing the customer experience.
The poll was conducted by Comptel at its annual Comptel User Group event.
Paralleling findings from consumer research conducted earlier this year, the survey found that two-thirds (67 percent) of respondents believe a lack of consistent quality, such as dropped calls, low bandwidth and the slow loading of files, and poor customer service are the biggest contributors to customer churn. Nearly half (46 percent), however, believe more targeted offerings based around individual usage patterns, in combination with personalized apologies, discounted upgrade opportunities or other special offers following a service issue, will help mitigate turnover.
In the Comptel User Group survey, the majority of telecommunications industry executives (55 percent) cited analytics as necessary to deliver on this and capitalize on business opportunities. Three out of four attendees reported leveraging analytics daily, weekly or monthly for customer retention, more targeted marketing or other performance improvements. Further, almost all survey participants noted that, when it comes to effective customer engagement, real-time capabilities to predict subscriber behaviors and understand the context of each customer interaction, are essential.
“Increasingly, the telecommunications industry is realizing that it must take a more proactive role in managing the customer experience. CSPs that can predict subscribers’ needs and wants, rather than simply reacting to them, will be in a much better position," said John Myers, senior analyst, Enterprise Management Associates. “Analytics can play a critical role here. By really understanding the unique circumstances of each customer and network event, CSPs can translate that contextual information into intelligent actions that positively impact both their customers’ experiences and their bottom lines."
