Mobile operators are under constant pressure to maximize customer lifetime value (CLV), and there are three critical levers to pull: improving customer experience, enhancing operational efficiency and increasing monetization. After investing heavily in networking and billing, mobile devices remain one of the last untapped frontiers for mobile operators to address the CLV levers. With the rise of generative AI (GenAI), operators now have a powerful new tool to transform how they interact with customers and address CLV more holistically.
GenAI is uniquely positioned for customer-facing applications. Unlike traditional AI models, GenAI operates on conversational inputs, making it ideal for real-time customer engagement. The ability to analyze device behavior, usage patterns and service history in real-time makes GenAI a compelling choice for operators looking to revolutionize customer interactions. In practice, GenAI can learn from interactions and, when supplemented with real-time data from mobile devices, can increase contextual relevance, greatly enhancing the delivery of personalized service.
One area where this specific application of GenAI shows true promise is in device care scenarios. Every year, one in five customers experience an issue with their mobile device, and nearly 80 percent of these customers say they trust โ or strongly trust โ their operator to help resolve it. By embedding GenAI into device care workflows, operators can simultaneously impact all three CLV levers.
Improving Customer Experience
GenAIโs ability to use real-time data to deliver personalized support elevates the customer experience. For example, suppose a customer complains about fast battery drainage. In that case, GenAI can analyze device telemetry to offer customized usage tips or recommend energy-saving settings, without requiring a retail visit or call to customer support.
Enhancing Operational Efficiency
GenAI-driven virtual agents on mobile operator apps or browsers can resolve issues remotely, reducing the burden on retail stores and call centers to handle device care issues. Unlike human agents, AI can handle dozens of variables simultaneously, such as device type, usage data and past issues, enabling it to diagnose problems both more quickly and accurately.
Creating Monetization Opportunities
AI can automate conversion of customer service interactions into commercial engagements. By analyzing device status, CRM records and conversational cues in the mobile app, GenAI can recommend relevant add-ons like accessories, insurance or trade-in options. Notably, Net Promoter Score (NPS) increases by 6 points when customers are offered a contextualized marketing promotion during device care.
This convergence of care and commerce, called โcare-to-commerce,โ illustrates GenAI’s potential to reframe support incidents as a revenue driver. Hereโs how it plays out in a realistic scenario:
MCE is leading the charge in this space. In partnership with TELUSโs Mobile Klinik, MCEโs DeviceAI solution demonstrated the ability to triple marketing promotions actions by leveraging insights from device care interactions. To learn more about how GenAI is transforming telco engagement from support to sales, visit MCEโs GenAI and DeviceAI solution page.
