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The mobile Web is exploding.According to a recent Comscore study entitled “State of the U.S. Internet,” mobile Internet users will surpass desktop Internet users by 2014. The growth of the mobile Web is due in large part to the rapid consumer adoption of smartphones. From March 2011 to March of 2012, smartphone users increased nearly 50% to 106.7 million. As a result, multi-device ownership is also on the rise. Together, these factors are contributing to the overall increase in mobile Internet traffic, which now represents 10% of all Internet traffic. In combination, these numbers tell us that customers are prepared and committed to the mobile Web. The bad news is that many communications service providers are not.
In the past, CSPs have not considered mobile a high priority channel for customers opting for Web-based customer portals. In light of all the recent industry research however, these organizations can no longer ignore that mobile channels present a legitimate opportunity to extend customer loyalty and impact the bottom line.
Web friendly is not enough
Many operators are finding that leveraging consumer demand for a mobile channel is not as simple as making an existing customer portal “Web friendly.” Users expect their mobile experience to be as good as their desktop experience. A recent Compuware survey found that 71% of users expect a mobile site to load as fast as a desktop site and 57% would not recommend a business with a bad mobile site. Even worse, the survey uncovered that 40% of respondents would turn to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience. CSPs can no longer view the customer experience on a desktop PC as the primary focus. They cannot afford to simply let consumers pinch and zoom their way through the Web application on their mobile device. Few markets are as competitive as telecommunications, and CSPs need to ensure their customers have a successful overall experience from the call center to the mobile site. Otherwise customer attrition is a certainty.
Mobile self care
One of the primary advantages of mobile channels is the opportunity to let consumers “self-care.” Operators have long understood the value of giving customers more insight and control over their service plans. For many years, building robust Web self-care portals was the method of choice, but in today’s media-rich, on-demand world, customers are demanding mobile solutions. Customer “self-care” not only reduces call center and maintenance costs, but gives CSPs the ability to enhance the overall customer experience ultimately creating more loyal and profitable interactions.
When it comes to mobile capabilities, consumers are looking to use smartphones to handle straightforward activities such as paying a bill or checking their account status as well as more complex transactions. Consumer demand for these capabilities has lead operators to uncover that their existing methods of addressing issues with customers are actually doing more harm than good.
Previously, consumers had to contact the call center to complete complex new connect transactions or when changing service. Customers view the call center as a “hassle” and don’t want to deal with the inconvenience. The notion of having to connect with the call center only to be told they needed to take action via a PC was creating significant consumer discontent.
By enabling mobile options that map to customer preferences, operators can create a significant reduction in call center expenses through a more cost-effective channel. This should be welcome news for operators who are consistently focused on decreasing call center activity to keep costs down – especially when it comes to billing inquiries. Studies have shown that more than 40% of inquiries into the call center are associated with billing questions. The mobile channel provides yet another way for customers to interact.
For example, one North American cable, data and voice provider was able to implement an innovative mobile platform to help customers self-manage their service interactions – from initial ordering or service installation, to service-bundle upgrades and self-payment. In just three months the organization was able to drive significant payment volumes – upwards of $1.8 million dollars – through the mobile interface and reduce pressure on the call center.
It’s a multi-screen world
From smartphones to tablets to desktop PCs, it’s clear that consumers have shifted to a multi-screen world. According to Google, 90% of users interact with multiple screens to complete a task, but the most popular starting point is the smartphone. To successfully provide on-demand options, operators need a multi-device framework from which they can create an optimal customer experience regardless of the device or screen the consumer is interacting with.
There are a number of critical components CSPs need to achieve this. First, operators need a fully functional desktop web experience as well as an optimized mobile Web app that is in sync with the desktop experience. The user interface across every medium is of utmost importance and should have the ability to dynamically change to fit a smartphone, tablet or desktop. However, operators also need to give mobile users the ability to switch to the full desktop version if desired and provide offline access.
From a technology perspective, there is plenty of industry debate about what technology stack to use – HTML5 versus Native, desktop versus mobile versus tablets. Operators would be wise to let consumer preference and existing adoption drive technology investments and strategy as it will not only allow them to map to customer demands, but allow emerging technology to mature.
Consumers today are more on the go and use their phones for much more than just making calls or checking e-mail. They need to take care of business on short notice and increasingly they prefer to do it without having to speak to someone or wait until they get in front of a desktop PC. As a recent Forrester study found, convenience is the driving force behind mobile traffic.
Given the competitive market, CSPs need to be able to meet these customer requirements and fit into the consumers evolving digital lifestyle. By ensuring the customer experience is optimized to the mobile internet and the multi-screen world consumers live in, CSPs can improve customer service, decrease costs and identify new revenue opportunities.
