According to a recent report by Cisco there will be 19 billion networked devices by 2017, and taking into consideration that the average electronics user seeks help 5-10 times a year, we can expect anywhere between 95 to 190 billion inquiries each year for OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), mobile network operators, retailers and insurers. With this vast proliferation of devices in the market, companies need to find ways to adapt and provide a seamless customer experience to their users. Below, we’ve compiled a set of predictions that we expect to see in 2014 within the mobile device sector from a customer experience perspective. Some will be familiar, while others might seem new. Of course we welcome any new ideas!
1. Customer care and technical support will become more intelligent and prevalent to reduce costs for OEMS and carriers.
Customers are seeking more efficient ways to get their questions answered, but interactive voice response (IVR) systems and knowledge based online support portals are not yet meeting customer needs. In 2014 we’ll see increased efforts focused in this direction. Due to the extremely high overhead costs to run traditional support channels fielding queries from millions of customers, investments are being poured into automated or self-help solutions instead. As a result, new technologies for customer care such as voice recognition, sentiment analysis, remote access to devices or peer-to-peer support are emerging, which are able to understand the context and sentiment of a question, while factoring in customer preferences, ultimately saving companies millions of dollars.
2. OEMs will experiment with device design.
To increase innovation in 2014 there will be more experimentation with OEMs exploring curved or uniquely-shaped devices, wrap-around screens, waterproof devices, devices that flex, and wearable technologies. Some concepts will be based on design, others on increased durability. By 2015 the focus and benefits should be clear and more brands will innovate in this direction. Increased durability through flexible components could lead to reduced repair volumes, especially for cracked screens, although wearables may present new repair models for OEMs.
3. OEMs will begin to enforce the end-to-end customer experience.
In the past couple years, Apple has successfully demonstrated how valuable it is to control the entire supply chain process, from developing products to selling and servicing them within their own stores. On the other hand, other vendors have invested millions in their products, but have left much to be desired in the customer experience sector. This is due in part to OEMs not owning or controlling this part of the process. However, in the next year we expect these OEMs to collaborate more closely with retailers to provide seamless in-store and online experience. This will include having a brand-specific presence and even buying “space” in larger electronics retail stores. This is similar to what the clothing industry went through in the last decade.
4. Recycling, reusing and trade-in or up programs will increase.
OEMs have always been keen on keeping their customers loyal, so in the next year we will see trade in or upgrade programs increase to lighten the customer service overload. Naturally, carriers and retailers will enjoy the additional revenue and lower repair and support volumes resulting from customers having the newest devices. Like before, used devices will be refurbished and used as replacement devices or sold to other markets.
5. Interactive customer support will increase exponentially.
Amazon recently launched the “Mayday” support feature and we expect other OEMs to launch similar features as remote / onboard diagnostics become even more prevalent.
6. Repair turnaround times will become shorter.
As a result of user demand, carriers around the world are decreasing their turnaround times in an attempt to maintain a competitive advantage. Some carriers in Argentina have even begun to provide the ultimate benchmark by offering 1 hour turnaround repair times for customers. Replacements and swaps for broken devices are not very common outside of the US where most devices are swapped when defective. This effort is also due in part to carriers wanting to keep their customers active with their phones to generate revenue and OEMs wanting to avoid expensive replacements.
7. Big data will support the customer service transparency
The increasing focus on real-time supply chain visibility on item level will allow companies to create faster turnaround times for product development and repairs, while new applications will enable interpretation of reams of usable information in a flash.
