A new Amdocs survey has revealed that service providers can reduce customer issues, reduce call center costs, and improve customer experience by providing optimized self-service channels. The survey which was conducted by analyst firm, Coleman Parkes, found that a massive opportunity for utilizing consistent self-service options by service providers exists which can help improve over-all customer experiences.
In a release, Ian Parkes, director and co-founder of Coleman Parkes, said that, “We are seeing a major shift in customer behavior. Consumers prefer to seek answers to common questions through online resources. However, many end users believe service providers' online services cannot solve their problems, so they gravitate back to the call center. There is a clear opportunity for service providers to take control of the experience and to reduce costs.”
Findings of the survey revealed that majority of smartphone users faced service or device related issues within the first year and that 82 percent ended up asking their service providers at least one question while 50 percent had more than one query. With regards to online support, the survey found that 75 percent people were willing to use online support if it were reliable while only 37 percent said they would opt for self-service options. 91 percent people in the survey said they preferred a customized single, online knowledge base for addressing query and issues.
The survey also found that 54 percent people used social media channels to complain to their mobile service provider while 73 percent said they were not happy with the answers they were provided.
Low satisfaction with online support is a leading reason behind why consumers contact call centers. The survey found that 40 percent of the people polled contacted a call center because of non-satisfaction with self-service options. Another eye-opener in the survey indicated that 96 percent of polled consumers expected automatic issue resolving notifications without the need for contacting their service providers over a resolution.
Rebecca Prudhomme, vice president of Product Marketing for Amdocs, said that, “The proliferation of smartphones and services pose a growing support challenge for service providers as new owners struggle to understand device features, services, and plans. Service providers are increasingly focused on providing simple, intuitive, and proactive service capabilities, while examining strategies for becoming more proactive. By monitoring and analyzing real-time customer information, service providers can deflect calls, which will simplify the customer experience while reducing call center volumes considerably.”