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Managing the

Customer Experience

Powerto the People

> Customer self-service (CSS) sys- Customer self-service (CSS) sys- sues that customers can’t handle themselves tems are increasingly popular in the via applications such as Web portals and inter- telecom sector, as service providers active voice recognition (IVR) systems. worldwide look for ways to improve At least that’s how it’s supposed to work. In their profitability and competitive positions by reality, service providers frequently are faced reducing overhead costs. This trend spans a with unreliable CSS systems that result in two wide variety of tasks, including service activa- major downsides: little or no visibility into tion, bill payment and account management. the customer experience, and unexpected, The cost savings come primarily from lower expensive floods of calls to call centers, as staffing requirements for call centers, which customers give up trying to do things for are freed to field only those questions and is- themselves.

These problems can be embar- Wh_{at’s Inside} rassing to carriers because sys- tems that were once used only _{3 Analyst Insight} by employees are now exposed to customers, who are less pa- 6 All’s Well for Alltell tient and less forgiving of per- _{8 Q&A: Cell C Sees All} formance glitches. CSS-related problems also can impact the 11 Catalyst for Change service provider’s bottom line 12 The Bottom Line in multiple ways. For example, they can lead to a reputation that prompts potential custom- ers to stay away, and they can send churn through the roof. According to Jupiter Research, more than 90% of high-value consumers (those who spend the most) may defect based on just a single negative customer service experience.