{"id":58004,"date":"2022-08-04T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=58004"},"modified":"2022-08-05T05:54:09","modified_gmt":"2022-08-05T12:54:09","slug":"telecom-cable-customer-insights-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/news\/stories\/telecom-cable-customer-insights-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Salesforce Report: Nearly Half of Customers Think They’ll Get Better Service by Threatening to Switch Communications Providers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a world where <\/em>more choice leads to more churn<\/em><\/a>, what can communications service providers do to keep their customers happy? <\/em>Salesforce\u2019s 2022 Trends in the Communications Industry Report<\/em><\/a>, summarized in this article, has uncovered key insights that reveal how providers can drive satisfaction and find new opportunities for growth. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The days when traditional communications service providers were the only game in town for telecom, internet, cable and managed services business needs are over. New entrants are gaining traction by offering simpler, contract-free services. And with more options today than ever before, customers are eager to test new providers<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pressure is on. Customers increasingly view communications service providers as commodities<\/a>, and the industry is quickly learning that they need to step up the quality of their experiences and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help providers understand how customer expectations have evolved and what\u2019s required to succeed amid the changing industry landscape, Salesforce surveyed 500 industry leaders and 6,000 customers for its 2022 Trends in the Communications Industry Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the key takeaways from the new report to help communications service providers attract and retain customers amid rising competition. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vast majority of customers are willing to look elsewhere for communications services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Customer experience cannot be overlooked \u2013 88% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services<\/a>. And communications customers are overwhelmingly ready, willing, and able to explore choices beyond their traditional providers to find better experiences. Roughly three quarters of customers\u00a0surveyed in the report said they would be at least somewhat likely to get wireless (78%) and cable (76%) services from non-traditional providers such as large technology companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, many customers are opting to cut the cable cord altogether. So much so that by next year, less than half<\/a> of U.S. households are expected to have traditional cable services. Of the customers surveyed who had cut the cord, 33% percent stated they did so in favor of streaming services, and 20% reported they have switched to wireless-only connectivity, such as 5G home internet, straight from their cellular devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes these new entrants so compelling? It\u2019s all about creating a great user experience \u2013 something traditional providers may have struggled to deliver. In fact, when it comes to customer satisfaction, surveyed customers ranked the communications industry<\/a> behind both consumer technology and ecommerce, barely edging out financial services, and pharmacies and healthcare providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research indicates that to stay competitive and attract and retain new customers, providers may need to take a page from consumer tech companies to deliver better and more personalized customer experiences across every channel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customers want optimized online channels and enhanced in-person experiences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Customers want the best of both online and in-person worlds. And they want those worlds to be connected and consistent<\/a>. Over half of respondents (51%) prefer to do business online, with 64% reporting they used their provider\u2019s website over the last month. However, 40% of customers also visited the store over the same time period, and 35% prefer to do business online and<\/em> in stores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this increasing adoption of online channels, customers are finding the experience lacking. As it stands, only one in five people reported having an excellent self-service or assisted-service experience on their provider\u2019s website. With so much room for improvement, providers with superior digital self-service channels could gain a competitive edge.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Less than a quarter of customers report having an excellent experience on their provider\u2019s website<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n
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