Knowledge is power
Why effective customer services are increasingly becoming the key differentiator for providers of mobile data services. By Doug Overton, WDS Global.
If 2003 was the year that the next generation of mobile devices finally made it onto the nation’s consciousness, primarily through the major ‘3’ advertising campaign run by Hutchison, then the next twelve months promise to be a year of significant growth in terms of uptake. Indeed industry research suggests that there will be 1.2 billion mobile users by 2005 – and that 70% of those will be using mobile data services.
To match this increasing demand, network operators and manufacturers developing and testing new wireless data services need to identify now what the key revenue-generating services and customer segments will be, in order to access new markets and gain sustainable market share.
There is another factor at play here – the major shift in the relationship between operators, manufacturers and their end customers. New applications and services are creating the need for greater interaction between customer and provider. But that interaction is by no means entirely satisfactory, and many customers – perhaps burned by the hype that surrounded the launch of WAP and the early 3G services - remain sceptical or at least in the dark about new services. Recent statistics suggest that up to eighty percent of mobile users are still only utilising twenty percent of their mobile’s technology.
Another recent report looking into mobile device use, carried out by Japanese mobile technology developer WACOM, seems to suggest a similar trend. The report, released earlier this year, states that while mobile device sales are on the increase, ninety-five percent of consumers surveyed admitted to being more than a little frustrated when trying to use new data applications.
This is an astonishing statistic, (and makes you wonder about the technical knowledge of the 5% who have not encountered any problems!) It is certainly borne out by our experience at WDSGlobal. Our mobile engineers and helpline services receive thousands of calls and emails every day from users worldwide who, having bought a handset, try to switch it on to investigate all the new applications they’ve heard so much about.
In our experience, one of two things can happen at this point. The first, and most likely, is that when they are asked for further information - be it a IP address, WAP gateway or mailbox name and password - the user, stumped, decides that the application probably isn’t worth the effort and ‘quits’ – never to use it again.
Winners will be service centric
The second scenario begins in the same way. This time the user, in an effort to address the problem, decides to call the helpline. With so many suppliers involved in the production and operation of mobile devices, choosing the correct helpline to call can be a challenge in itself. Compounding this confusion is the growing trend of ‘passing the buck’ – the reseller says it’s the manufacturer’s fault, the manufacturer blames the network operator, and so on…
Not only will this probably result in the device making rapid contact with the nearest wall but it will certainly adversely affect the uptake of mobile data services.
To be truly successful, and to drive up revenues, the introduction and application of data Winners Winnservices needs to be as seamless and problem free as possible. Consumers are looking for complex issues to be explained simply and clearly, and for problems to be quickly solved. In my opinion, the major successes of 2004 will be those suppliers, whether manufacturers or operators, who adopt a service-centric approach, responding to the needs and demands of their customer base.
There are compelling examples of failing customer service adversely impacting a business. Yet it is possible to provide solid, efficient support for customers and ensure that problems are solved quickly and effectively. The pressure is on for suppliers to differentiate themselves, by making things as clear as possible for the customer, whether selling services or simply delivering practical advice.
Outsourcing your pre and post-sales support can be a major step towards achieving this aim. Simply having a call centre is no longer enough to stand out from the already crowded marketplace, suppliers must ensure that they have a full customer service framework in place, focussing on ease of use for the customer from design, through development and manufacture, to pre and post sales care. Education and pre-sales support should be a priority for resellers and customers alike if they are to make the most of this opportunity. Without this provision you risk your customer choosing a device which will not meet their needs, resulting in disappointment and disenchantment – not an ideal situation for creating brand loyalty or encouraging the uptake of data services.
Help services need to be more than a simple phone line; support must be delivered in the method convenient to the user – whether to the desktop, the mobile device or simply talking them through the process - and, if necessary, suppliers must have the capacity to remotely configure the device if the user is still unable to succeed. We have seen, first-hand, the difference this level of service can make.
These are all going to be major factors, not just in increasing your customer loyalty and retention but also in increasing the widespread uptake of data services and the resultant growth in our industry.
Get it right, and we all benefit. Get it wrong and consumer confidence in mobile services could be irreparably tarnished.
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