6 Best Practices Shaping the Future of Telco CX
Telecommunications operators are prioritizing new connections—their relationships with customers. The telecom industry lags its peers in customer satisfaction, with both internet service and subscription TV service at the bottom of the rankings by industry. Until the past decade, communication service providers (CSPs) have had competing priorities like monetization, often hindering investment into customer experience (CX). Now, in response to greater customer expectations and competition, CSPs are paying attention to CX.
Keep reading to discover how CSPs can improve customer experience and retention in the telco industry.
Why CX is Important for CSPs
CX is critical to prevent customer churn—particularly high in telco. In the U.S., the cable television and financial industries had the highest churn ( 25% ) in 2020, with telecom/wireless at 21%. According to one report, 39% of telco customers reported leaving because of poor customer service. Of these, 41% switched because of inferior self-service options and 51% because they had to call more than once to resolve a problem. According to the 2022 State of Customer Churn in Telecom report, customer loyalty to telecom providers is down 22% post-pandemic due to poor customer experience.
With several large wireless providers in the US, and even more MVNO's, there is more choice than ever for customers. Competition drives the need for deeper engagement with customers . Customers expect interacting with their wireless, internet or cable provider to be as quick, easy and convenient as it is with digital native disruptors such as Netflix, or Amazon. Apple has set the bar high for customer service. Telecom or cable operators that don't meet customer expectations are at a disadvantage and risk losing business.
6 Best Practices to Improve Telco CX
1. Communicate Proactively
Some CSPs only engage with business to consumer (B2C) customers once a month, when their bill is due or overdue. More frequent, proactive communication–especially regarding service outages, or pending service appointment–are key to better B2C CX. For many CSPs, enhancing CX starts with leveraging digital engagement channels such as , email, outbound IVR and in-app mobile—and coordinating . Send proactive, personalized communications via the customer's preferred channel (email, sms, etc.):
