Where is Customer Service in the Future of Wireless?

Tuesday, 01. 19. 2010  –  Category: Dial611

More and more providers are jumping into unlimited or “all you can eat” packages, offering customers a security blanket against the old fear (and lucrative business model) of overage charges.  But like any competitive marketplace, there is always a desire to trump the competition.  As a result, these unlimited packages have gone from $200, to $99, to now well under $50 per month.  While consumers cheer these more reasonably priced offerings, anyone who knows business has to wonder—where are the margins?

It would be one thing if providers were not expanding their networks or improving to 3G and 4G technologies to deliver service.  But if the data overload that iPhones are delivering to AT&T are any indication, the opposite is true.  With calls, texts and data demands on the rise, networks are getting tapped more than ever before.  That means money continues to be driven into network improvements, not to mention things like marketing and handset subsidies to drive subscriber growth.

So if the network, the marketing and the technology is not suffering as a result of slimmer margins, what is?  It appears to be customer service.  Even if one believed that every carrier held customer service in the highest regard, the increased complexity of networks and devices combined with tighter budgets makes it next to impossible to think that any company could acceptably handle every request coming their way.

So as we look to a future where things are only going to get more complicated, and competition will be tougher than ever, what is the role of customer service for these providers?  Despite the apparent doom and gloom, carriers will have no choice but to continue viewing customer service as a necessary part of delivery.  And while the cost may be high to run call centers, whether they are in the United States or abroad, there are several activities that a live body will have to handle on behalf of the wireless provider—largely because the customer demands it.

Technical Support

During the life cycle of a customer, there will most certainly be issues with service.  For some, it occurs right at activation.  As much as carriers would like to disagree, you need a live person on the end of the line to help facilitate the solution.  And while tight margins might start to blur the ethical limits a carrier is accountable to provide support, the end result is that the long term viability of the company is directly related to the service working well.  Unless companies become more proactive in their troubleshooting, the only way they are really going to know if there are issues is if the customer tells them.

Billing

Automated systems have largely taken over the basic billing needs for customers.  You can now call in to a main line and learn your balance, make a payment, change account settings and more.  But when it comes to discrepancies in billing, however, the most reliable option remains service representatives.  They can listen to the specifics of a situation, understand where their billing system made errors and overrule when necessary.  Additionally, government regulations require that companies provide live personnel to handle consumer needs and these laws will not change any time soon.

Whether the business model is built around razor sharp margins or a much more user-friendly experience, customer service will be an active part of any company’s business model for years to come.  While continual evolutions in technology may make the customer service experience more automated, there will still be a need to have a live voice on the end of the line for those instances when “press 1” just won’t do.

David Fleming works for CornerWorld Corporation, parent company of Dial611.

Tags: 3G, billing, cell phone, customer service, David Fleming, technical support, wireless