TL;DR
- 20% of customers will have a device issue annually, which can add up for customer support costs
- 74% want a self-service device diagnosis tool; consider adding one to your operator app
- 62% have to repeat troubleshooting steps when contacting support; consider transferring on-device diagnostic data to support
- 35% want smart offers in troubleshooting scenarios; consider leveraging diagnostic data into personalized marketing offers
For MNOs and MVNOs (mobile operators), customer support costs can quickly add up. The third biggest driver of those calls are about mobile device issues. If your team hasnโt taken a close look at how device issues are handled, these four stats should inspire strategic thinking.
Thatโs right. One in five customers are likely to face a device problem annually. And when it happens, 80 percent of them will turn to their mobile provider โ not the OEM โ either entirely or partly for help. Every call they make to customer support costs between $5 and $7 on average, and that number only goes up if the issue is complex or takes a lot for the agentโs time to resolve. These arenโt just technical support challenges; theyโre real cost-of-service issues. Empowering customers resolve less complex device issues on their own isnโt just better for them, itโs better for your bottom line.
The demand is clear: three out of four customers say theyโd like the option to quickly diagnose and solve a device issue on their own. The most logical way to deliver that is through on-device diagnostics, accessible right within the operatorโs mobile app. This gives customers what they want: autonomy โ while reducing unnecessary call center volumes.
Customers are experiencing frustration when theyโre calling customer support over device issues. After theyโve already started trying to troubleshoot themselves, theyโre forced to re-explain the issue to the support agent. Worse, nearly 50 percent of customers felt like switching providers because of it. This creates poor retention with negative device-related experience and inefficiency, eating both time and costs from customer support operations. Give support reps diagnostic information captured from the device through the operatorโs app and enable them to solve issues quickly, satisfy the customer and reduce call handling times and.
Believe it or not, customers like getting smart options in certain device troubleshooting contexts, like marketing offers for device upgrades. In fact, customer satisfaction goes up by six points when they do. Here, mobile operators can convert a pain point into a commercial opportunity, known as โcare-to-commerce.โ Give customers the on-device tools to diagnose an issue, and when appropriate, trigger the right offer based on the diagnostic results.
A Smarter Device Care Timeline Saves Time and Money
When MNOs and MVNOs enable self-troubleshooting, they donโt just deflect unnecessary customer support calls, they also make the calls that do happen shorter and more efficient. Thatโs because when a customer reaches out after trying to resolve an issue themselves, your agents already have a head start. They can see what steps the customer took and avoid redundant questions. The result? Lower handling times, fewer escalations, a better use of support resources and opening commercial opportunities.
For mobile operators, these numbers highlight a clear path forward: give customers the tools to help themselves, and everyone wins. To learn more about MCE’s device care solution, click here.
