TL;DR

  • Customers who experience transparency with their telecoms provider, stay loyal and spend more.
  • Mobile operator are working on transparency; the device experience is where they can enhance it.
  • Leading MNOs in Canada and the UK introduced different forms of transparency around device experience and saw marked statistical improvements.

When it comes to mobile phone service, trust matters. People are more likely to stay with a wireless provider if they feel the company is open and honest, even when things go wrong. In the UK, customers are three times more likely to stay loyal after a mistake, and three times more likely to buy new services, if they feel they can trust their provider.

But many telecom companies still have work to do. While thereโ€™s been progress on transparency โ€“ like showing how mobile data is used โ€“ lots of customers still find things confusing. For example, 58 percent of residential telecom customers say they struggle to understand their bill. And this confusion or uncertainty extends to mobile device experience โ€“ a key touchpoint of customer relationship.

Where MNOs can boost transparency

Journeys where device assessment is involved are where transparency is most at risk. Nearly half of U.S. and over half of UK mobile customers say their trade-in quote changed partway through the process. That change made almost a majority of them consider switching to another provider. There are two key areas where being more transparent would help:

Device Value Appraisal (Trade-ins and Insurance Quotes)

When you trade in an old phone, the value is often decided by someone inspecting it manually in store. This can feel unfair or inconsistent. The same goes for phone insurance quotes. Whatโ€™s needed is a digital tool that quickly and accurately checks a customerโ€™s phone condition and provides a locked-in quote that wonโ€™t change later.

Device Issues and Diagnostics

If your phone isnโ€™t working right, getting help from your provider can be frustrating. Manual checks or limited digital troubleshooting tools donโ€™t always give clear answers. With comprehensive digital diagnostics tools in their app and stores, operators can walk customers through whatโ€™s going on with their device and how to fix it โ€” step by step, with no guesswork and with a clear end solution.

Leading MNOs shift to greater transparency

Some mobile operators are already making this shift. Vodafone added MCEโ€™s device check-up tool to its app to add objectivity and lock in a guaranteed price. This helped boost customer satisfaction (NPS) by 17 points and increased online trade-ins by 5x. In Canada, TELUS used MCEโ€™s Agentic AI solution in their device care brand Mobile Klinikโ€™s app to improve their customersโ€™ device care and servicing experience. By reaching out and listening to customers and then explaining to them at each step the process, they engaged 4x more in the app’s device care journeys and accepted offers or solutions 3x more often.

MCE innovation is your vehicle to device-related transparency

MCE helps mobile operators make the device experience more clear, fair, and easy for customers. That builds trustโ€”and trust keeps people coming back.