Here’s the truth: most customers don’t want to call for telecom customer support. 67% of customers say that they’d rather use self-service technology options than interact with a call center agent.
Telecom providers that don’t provide automated support risk being left behind. Customers want access to self-serve knowledge bases to get the help they need instantly. Technology like 5G means customers expect to access what they want at the speed of now, and tech support is no exception.
This blog post will discuss why self-service is a non-negotiable requirement for telecom customer support and what companies should look for in an automated support provider.
Why self-service technology is critical for telecom customer support
Self-guided support is no longer a nice-to-have, but a must-have for telecom businesses seeking to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market. Below are a few reasons companies should consider adopting self-service tools.
Customers want automated support options
The most compelling reason for telecom companies to invest in customer self-serve tools is that customers demand it. 88% of customers expect businesses to provide automated help options. Additionally, 77% of customers view brands that provide self-service experiences more favorably than those that don’t.
It might seem obvious, but companies that give customers what they want are more likely to stay in business. Yet, too many companies aren’t meeting customer needs for automated support, or at least, not doing so effectively. More than two-thirds of customers say they can’t resolve their issue with their provider’s current self-service offerings.
Businesses that ignore the benefits of self-service are missing out on opportunities to create a better customer experience and stand out from competitors. It also means that companies that fail to provide strong on-demand assistance may lose out on attracting new customers.
Two-thirds of customers consider a company’s customer service reputation before making a purchase. This means that adopting self-service technology is critical for telecom providers to enhance the experience of current customers and attract new ones.
Customers expect instant customer service
When customers need help, they don’t want to wait. Nine out of 10 customers expect businesses to respond to their outreach immediately. The stakes are even higher for lucrative Gen Z customers, who will hang up after waiting less than a minute on hold.
While this might seem like the impatience of youth, these customers are critical for telecom companies. Research shows that Gen Z, also known as Zoomers, has over $360 billion in spending power. Losing these valuable customers can have devastating consequences for telecom businesses.
Companies that fail to meet the need for speedy tech support don’t get second chances. 96% of customers will stop doing business with a brand after a single bad service experience. However, there are only so many hours in a day. So, what can companies do to meet the need for instant support without putting unrealistic case burdens on contact center agents?
This is where automated support can help. Tools such as conversational AI chatbots can access instant support and skip waiting in the call center queue. 80% of customers say speed is a key factor in creating a positive customer service experience. Delivering fast and effective support is critical for reducing customer churn rates. Companies that offer self-service options are better positioned to hold on to customers and improve customer retention rates.
Self-service technology enables support teams to scale effectively
One in five customers expects businesses to resolve their support ticket within an hour. As companies grow, the number of customer service requests increases. Yet, there are only so many hours in a day. So how can contact center teams keep up without burning out?
Again, this is where self-guided support can help. Self-service options can help contact centers address more tech support requests in less time. This creates potential cost savings as companies handle more customer service tickets without needing to hire additional staff.
Automated support is especially critical for regional service providers (RSPs) that want to maintain a competitive edge in tech support. Often, RSPs face challenges such as smaller budgets and service teams, which can make it challenging to respond to support requests in a timely manner. By implementing self-service, these smaller businesses can more easily compete with larger, nationwide carriers.
Increase employee engagement
Self-serve support also helps reduce repeat service requests that clog up call center queues. 57% of company executives expect call volume to increase by as much as 20% over the next few years.
High call volumes can contribute to call center agent burnout, which can have devastating consequences for businesses. On average, it costs up to twice an employee’s salary to replace them. As a result, telecom providers with high agent turnover can be burdened by increased business expenses.
Implementing a customer self-serve solution can reduce unnecessary case burdens on call center agents by allowing them to focus on requests that require more technical expertise. When agents aren’t dealing with high case loads, they’re less likely to churn and more likely to be engaged. In turn, this increase in employee engagement improves the customer experience.
Happy and engaged employees are critical for business success. A study by the University of Oxford found that happy contact center agents are 13% more productive. If agents are happy at work, they’ll do a better job of helping customers. Additionally, companies with high employee engagement are 23% more profitable than the competition. Customer self-service can be instrumental for companies to reap all these benefits, creating a win-win situation for both the business and its customers.
Improve critical contact center metrics
Automated support can help telecom businesses improve key contact center metrics. For example, Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a critical metric for assessing how customers feel about a company after a service interaction. Companies that take the time to evaluate NPS can understand current customer sentiment and take steps to improve brand loyalty.
Automated support can be a critical factor for improving NPS. As mentioned earlier, most customers expect businesses to provide self-service technology. Telecom companies that meet this critical customer need are more likely to maintain a loyal customer base.
Businesses can also use self-serve to boost average handle time (AHT). AHT refers to the average duration of service interactions between agents and customers. Faster service resolution generally means happier customers, making AHT a critical metric for evaluating call center performance.
On-demand assistance, such as interactive tutorials, can lead to faster issue resolution and increase digital adoption among telecom customers. As more customers turn to self-guided support, average handle time in call centers often decreases. In turn, faster issue resolution reduces contact center wait times and can lower business expenses. Telecom companies that implement strong customer self-service are well-positioned to improve the metrics that matter most to the health of the business.
Ozmo interactive tutorial showing how to manage battery settings
What to look for in a self-service portal
Automated support can be a key differentiator for telecom providers. So, what should companies look for when choosing a self-service portal? Here are a few general (but non-exhaustive) guidelines:
- Identify providers that have experience working with telecom businesses
- Look for a solution that updates dynamically
- Consider ease of implementation and integration with the current tech stack
- Prioritize support hubs that are WCAG 2.0 compliant
- Multilingual tech support options
Once decision-makers have identified a few options, they should consider attending a product demo. Product demos are a great way to see the solution in action and ask questions to clarify which solution is the best fit for their company’s needs.
Self-service is a key differentiator for telecom companies
Self-service technology has become a critical component for telecom businesses not only to survive, but to thrive. As the number of tech support requests increases, and customers demand faster response times, companies need to scale in a way that's sustainable, cost-effective and doesn't overburden agents. By implementing self-service tech support, telecom providers can gain a competitive edge by crafting the streamlined, automated support experience that customers expect.
Telecom providers interested in reducing support costs through self-service can download the Verizon Wireless case study. See how Ozmo's tech support solutions helped Verizon save tens of millions of dollars annually while improving the customer experience.
