The world of broadband is changing fast. The unprecedented demand for broadband to power smart homes and remote work has created new opportunities for your company to attract and onboard customers.
However, higher demand for products and services comes with increased demand for tech support. As a result, your customers may be experiencing longer contact center wait times while agents are frantically scouring the internet for answers to their most pressing questions. In addition, you might be struggling with a revolving door of contact center employees.
Yet, your competitors are right on your heels. So how can you provide customer service that stands out in an increasingly crowded market? Below, we detail common broadband customer service challenges and four key steps for improvement.
The state of the broadband market
According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, more than 74% of U.S. households have broadband internet. It’s estimated that by 2027, the broadband market will be worth a whopping $457 billion.
This is partly due to the rise in the number of smart home devices, which require broadband internet, as well as the increase in remote and hybrid work. The expansion of broadband also means providers must meet the increasing demand for technical support.
The benefits of prioritizing customer support
96% percent of customers will leave your business for a competitor due to bad customer service. Therefore, prioritizing customer support is essential to standing out in an increasingly crowded broadband market. Companies who provide competitive customer support enjoy benefits such as:
- Improved net promoter score (NPS)
- Reduced customer churn
- Increased first-call resolution rates
- Higher customer satisfaction
- Increased cost savings
Current broadband customer service challenges
Broadband companies can benefit in numerous ways from providing better customer support. However, there are some challenges that too often stand in the way. Below, we detail some of the most significant customer service challenges in the broadband space.
Poor customer onboarding experience
A smooth onboarding experience is essential to increase customer satisfaction and reduce customer churn. However, if customers struggle to self-install your broadband devices or applications, it could lead to increased truck rolls, which refers to when you have to send a team out to install it for them.
Sending out a team to thousands of customers adds up fast, which quickly increases business costs. Companies looking to stay ahead of competitors should prioritize reducing truck rolls to streamline the customer onboarding experience.
Lack of agent support
Too often, contact center agents don’t have access to a central source of tech support resources. This means that they’re unable to access reliable answers to customer questions in a timely manner. As a result, agents must turn to online forums to search for answers.
This is a problem for several reasons. First, the answers they find may not be from a reputable source, resulting in them relying on inaccurate information. Secondly, the lack of a timely or accurate response can create frustration for the customer. Lastly, searching online internet forums could increase cybersecurity risks for your company.
High contact center agent turnover
Many companies have struggled to retain employees during the Great Resignation, and contact centers are no exception. The average turnover rate for contact center agents is 45%, much higher than average.
The expense of high employee turnover adds up fast. In fact, studies show that replacing an employee can cost businesses up to two times the employee’s salary. Companies that don’t prioritize employee retention efforts will experience higher costs and struggle to provide competitive customer support.
High business costs
The high costs businesses face from poor customer service extend beyond increased employee turnover rates. Many contact centers supply their agents with physical devices. In addition to having to purchase numerous devices for each agent, companies must maintain and replace devices when they break down.
Companies can also experience higher business costs due to a lack of diverse support options. For example, without self-serve options, customers have to call your contact center for even the simplest of tech support inquiries. Requiring an agent to address simple tech support cases creates a backlog in your contact center and increases call wait times, in addition to increasing cost.
How broadband providers can provide better customer support
Poor customer service can have a devastating impact on your company’s performance. Below are a few ways your broadband business can improve its customer support.
Streamline the customer onboarding experience
The onboarding process sets the tone for customer experience. Make sure it’s the right one. To improve your customers’ onboarding experience, consider offering multichannel support to simplify the process of setting up new products and devices.
To ensure onboarding success, set up clear, step-by-step guidance to help customers navigate the process. In addition, make sure to direct customers to various support options if they have questions along the way, such as interactive tutorials or by providing the number for your contact center.
Provide self-serve options
89% of customers expect companies to offer self-service options. Self-service customer support tools allow customers to access reliable support information 24/7. In addition to meeting the demands of customers, self-serve tools also help grow your business.
Solutions such as Ozmo Self-Serve help businesses reduce costs and cut contact center wait times by empowering customers to resolve issues independently. Top-tier self service can also help increase NPS and increase customer satisfaction.
Equip agents with central support resources
The world of technology moves fast. Customers are constantly upgrading their devices or updating apps and software. Without a central source of support resources, agents may struggle to answer complex customer inquiries, leading to frustration for both parties.
In addition, agents may be forced to turn to online forums to search for answers, which can increase cybersecurity risks. With a central knowledge base, agents can quickly locate reliable information to resolve complex customer inquiries. This boosts agent confidence, helps increase first-call resolution rates and reduces customer churn.
Read how a tier one U.S. MNO used Ozmo’s solutions to increase agent engagement by 75%
Improve the contact center agent onboarding experience
Did you know that contact center agents who have a poor onboarding experience are twice as likely to start searching for a new job? So how do you create an onboarding process that helps retain employees?
To improve the contact center agent onboarding experience, make sure you set clear goals and expectations for new hires. You’ll also want to ensure you equip them with up-to-date training resources to set them up for success. In addition, your company may want to consider implementing a mentorship program, creating a 30-60-90 plan and providing actionable feedback to improve agent performance.
Quality broadband customer service is vital to your success
Customer service shouldn’t be an afterthought when it comes to acquiring and retaining broadband customers. In fact, studies show that companies that provide poor customer service risk losing the majority of their customer base.
There are many steps your business can take to provide competitive tech support. Some of the most notable tactics include providing a central knowledge base for agents, streamlining the agent onboarding process to prevent high turnover, using interactive tutorials and providing self-serve options.
By focusing on quality customer service, your company can enjoy reduced customer churn, increased NPS score and higher customer satisfaction.
Are you looking for an omnichannel tech support solution that increases customer retention while cutting business expenses? As a leader in the tech support space, Ozmo is trusted by Google Fi, AT&T and Carolina West Wireless. Explore the future of tech support today!
