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How to Deliver Intelligent Customer Service in Communications

Wireless service is more than a luxury — it's a necessity. So much so that the smartphone has become our primary device for phone calls, email, text, and internet connectivity. But this connectivity boom has also resulted in a massive business model shift for communications service providers (CSPs) (wireless, ISP, cable/TV, fiber, and so on). In order to compete, these providers have offered choice, device flexibility, and better plan options, and created content partnerships to extend the value of their services for subscribers. Yet the industry is facing a crisis where loyalty is scarce and margins are getting crunched.

01

Competing Business Objectives Cause Challenges for Customer Service Organizations

According to the CustomerGauge NPS & CX Benchmarks Report:

The average telecommunications industry NPS score is 24, ranking last of the 15 industries monitored in the report.1

The path to resolve the crisis is a tricky one for CSPs. Your customer service organizations are on the front lines and face three competing business objectives as they work to keep subscribers happy.

02

Deploy Three Strategies to Drive Loyalty, Reduce Cost, and Create Revenue Opportunities

On their own, solutions to each of these objectives could cause friction in the business. However, we believe that there is a three-part strategy service providers can deploy to achieve all three. When used together, they transform customer service from a reactive function to an intelligent customer satisfaction machine.

03

It's Time to Deliver Intelligent Customer Service.

Here’s how you can do it today with Salesforce.

Step 1

Intelligently predict and resolve issues.

Use the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform to integrate network, usage, billing, and device data into the customer record. This 360-degree view of customer activity and behavior empowers providers to detect potential service issues, then recommend next best actions to take with Einstein AI based on predicted customer behavior.

Step 2

Keep customers informed with proactive communication.

Take proactive action and communicate with subscribers on potential service issues as soon as they are detected. Providers can create service journeys in Marketing Cloud or automate messages in a subscriber’s preferred channel through Service Cloud. Take proactive communication a step further and offer an explanation of the issue, recommend guidance to resolve it, and keep customers informed of when the issues will be fixed.

Step 3

Empower customers to serve themselves.

Deploy self-help tools through Community Cloud so customers can explore recommended solutions to resolve cases on their own. Customer communities go beyond service requests. They help deflect common tasks and questions by enabling customers to take action on their own, including paying bills, adding products or services to their account, exploring frequently asked questions, and making service or in-store appointments.

Step 4

Increase agent efficiency and effectiveness.

It's time to empower service agents with the tools they want when assisted service is needed. Agents are sharp and talented individuals but are held back by outdated systems or the need to access information from multiple locations. Deploy a unified view of account activity, service status, and real-time network activity in Service Cloud Lightning console. Give agents the power of Einstein AI to recommend the next best action to take, along with key insights that will help build loyalty with subscribers. If needed, field technicians can be deployed to diagnose and resolve onsite customer service issues, all from Field Service Lightning on their mobile devices.

Conclusion

Customer service in the communications industry is complex, and service organizations have to balance customer satisfaction with competing business goals. The key to driving customer satisfaction is simple: Center the business process around customer needs. It's a simple concept but challenging to execute. However, it's possible to drive satisfaction and average revenue per user at the same time. Putting the right service solutions in place to empower agents across self-service and assisted service channels drives customer satisfaction and lifetime value.

Here are some next steps you can take on your customer service journey:

  • Learn more about our Deliver Intelligent Customer Service Solution for Communications.

    Learn More
  • Watch the Deliver Intelligent Customer Service demo video.

    Watch The Video
  • Download the "State of Service" report to get insight into challenges facing service organizations across industries.

    View The Report
  • Request a meeting to explore customer service strategies with a Salesforce communications expert.

    Request A Meeting