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Addressing Integrated Customer Service Challenges

Convergence, often enabled by mergers and takeovers of different companies, allows operators to provide multiple services over common infrastructures that in the past would have been seen by customers as completely separate. When offered by a single organisation, customers not unreasonably expect to be able to access full customer service from single points of contact. In addition, with the advent and rapid uptake of social media, the number of possible points of contact has grown.

Good quality customer-focused service has been shown to be essential to retain customers and can further consolidate and strengthen an operator's competitive position through cross- and up-selling. However in trying to provide an integrated service that addresses customer wants, operators often find they have to deal with multiple mismatched IT systems, a fragmented organisation and a culture that sees customer service as a necessary but unwelcome cost.

In order to win and retain customers in competitive, developed markets, network operators need to ensure they implement a culture that sees integrated customer services and support as a strategic mechanism enabling cross- and up-selling as well as strengthening the brand.

This report provides examples that illustrate the issues faced by operators and explores the options open to them. The report concludes with recommendations that should be considered by all network operators that aspire to providing a fully integrated customer service to support their position in the market.

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Table of Contents


1
Overview
1
2
Introduction
2
2.1
Background to the Report
2
2.2
Report Content
3
2.3
Currency and Conversions
3
2.4
Further Questions and Feedback
3
3
Customer Services Today
4
3.1
Introduction
4
3.2
Background
4
3.3
Accessing Customer Service
5
3.3.1
Accessing Account Details for Multiple Services
5
3.3.2
Accessing Help and Support for Multiple Services
7
3.3.3
Integration across Points of Contact
8
3.4
Customer Experiences
9
3.4.1
Eircom - Ordering a New Broadband Service
9
3.4.2
Vodafone - Purchasing a New Phone and Contract
9
3.4.3
BT - Amending an Existing Service
10
4
The Benefits of Integration
12
4.1
Introduction
12
4.2
Customer Perspective
12
4.2.1
Contacting the Operator
12
4.2.2
Multiple Touch Points
13
4.2.3
TechnicalQ
14
4.3
Operator Perspective
14
4.3.1
Customer Retention
14
4.3.2
Cross- and Up-selling
15
4.3.3
Cost Savings
18
5
Delivering Integrated Customer Services
19
5.1
Introduction
19
5.2
Integration of Product and Service Lines
19
5.3
Integration of Sales and Service
23
5.4
Integration of Contact Points
23
5.5
Integration of Systems and Databases
24
6
Conclusions and Recommendations
27
6.1
Introduction
27
6.2
Summary of Conclusions
27
6.2.1
Integration of Product/Service Line
27
6.2.2
Sales and Service Integration
27
6.2.3
Contact or Touch Point Integration
27
6.2.4
Systems Integration
28
6.3
Recommendations
28
 
Appendix - Feedback Questions
30