The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the move to digital, as large proportions of the population have continued to work, learn and be entertained remotely, while others have trialled services such as remote health care for the first time. These were amongst the findings of a recent
The results draw many clear parallels with
For communications service providers looking to enable a simple, intelligence-driven and streamlined experience, many are starting with their current offerings and looking for ways to add value. Establishing partnerships and collaborating with players in adjacent industries provide the most obvious opportunities. One of the most prominent US examples is Waze, Google's social GPS navigation app, which embedded Spotify and Apple Music to enable its users to play music in their car without leaving the original app.
In the service bundling area, African customers' expectations continue to increase as they demand the power to select the bundle, device and music of their choice -- on demand and with one click. Digital catalogues with embedded features, as well as the ability to merge with third-party catalogues offer significant potential, allowing carriers to, for example, sell connectivity bundles, with Netflix on top and Amazon gaming miles added as a giveaway.
A mindset change: prioritising digital
The ability to exceed consumers' expectations demands that service providers adopt a digital-first mindset; that is, promoting the adoption of unassisted channels where customers can easily self-serve, consume and manage their account autonomously. Moreover, the highly competitive African landscape makes speed and agility crucial, including the need to rapidly adapt and bring solutions to market to meet ever-changing consumer demands.
To enable these new experiences and support complex business operations, service providers worldwide and in
Agents felt empowered to approach customers with more confidence and could convert care issues into upsell opportunities more easily. In addition, the average handling time was reduced and the overall process of dealing with the customer, bills and related interactions simplified.
In
Globe's journey to digital resulted in a 60% improvement in average handling time -- from 60 minutes to 25 minutes; a 90% satisfaction rate amongst store agents; the condensing of a complex re-contracting; an error rate reduction of about three to four times; and the quick launch of new bundles and offers.
By adopting similar approaches, communication service providers in
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Lethabo Kgolane
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lethabo@eclipsecomms.com
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