September 23, 2020
Given recent events, you might think that broadband providers would be eager to improve their customer support services. More people than ever are working from home, a trend that’s set to continue as 54% of CFOs plan to make remote working a permanent option. This puts increased demand on residential broadband networks and, in turn, contact centers.
There’s never been a better time for broadband providers to bolster support services, yet this hasn’t been happening at the rate we’d expect. Of course, that’s partly because they’ve got their hands full maintaining the status quo, as contact centers run at reduced capacity. But there’s another reason – software transformation projects can easily turn into long, complex, and expensive ordeals. With contact centers already under huge pressure, this kind of disruption is the last thing they need.
Broadband providers require solutions that can be deployed rapidly and deliver ROI fast. So, here are four simple things you can do right now to improve your home network support and achieve real results in weeks, rather than years.
Most broadband providers offer a device care app with self-service and remote support functions to enhance the customer support journey. But customers often don’t bother to install it.
The problem is that these apps rarely offer the value or support capabilities that drive high adoption rates. Customers need a genuinely compelling reason to download a care app. Basic self-service functions aren’t enough – it’s got to offer more than just a link to an FAQ page or chat service.
Customers need a genuinely compelling reason to download a care app.
You can embed a range of useful self-service tools into your app to make it much more attractive. Automated diagnostics, for instance, make it easier for customers to resolve home network issues. The stickier and more capable your app, the more likely people are to use it and benefit from a better customer experience.
If you're not ready to build this functionality into your core care app, you can still enhance your customer service with a standalone troubleshooting app by making it very easy to access during the support journey.
There are all sorts of ways to proactively deploy a standalone app to customers on the fly. For instance, you can send a link through any number of channels, such as SMS or live chat, that automatically starts a remote support session with no need for installation. This creates an impressively frictionless customer experience.
When getting in touch with a brand, 70% of customers want the process to be seamless on any service channel. Most broadband providers already use some proactive measures, like IVR interactions, to triage issues and gather information. But there’s more you can do to make the transition from self-service to calling an agent totally smooth.
Data captured through self-service diagnostic tests should be sent to the agent automatically. So, they’re fully up to speed with the issue and ready to help from the moment they speak to the customer.
This reduces the time that customers spend venting their frustration, enabling agents to resolve issues faster. But it’s also an opportunity to wow the customer. If they talk to an agent who understands their problem from the outset and solves it quickly, it turns a frustrating situation into an impressive support experience.
Agents and customers often struggle to speak the same language. If the customer isn’t technically minded, they might not have the vocabulary to articulate the issue they’re experiencing.
When hardware such as router cabling is involved, even the most patient agents can struggle to interpret the problem a customer is trying to describe. How do you get past this breakdown in communication?
This is where media sharing can help. Why not use your care app to let customers share photos or a video feed with the agent in real-time? The agent sees exactly what the customer sees, enabling them to troubleshoot issues far more quickly and effectively.
First contact resolution is the most important factor that impacts the customer experience – and it affects the bottom line. Broadband providers often incur significant yet avoidable costs when common issues are escalated beyond level one agents. Costs go up as more experienced (and expensive) technicians get involved - even more so if a home visit is scheduled, often needlessly.
You can reduce these costs and improve first contact resolution by equipping your front line agents with automated and easy-to-use support tools. If you provide tools that can be controlled remotely but collect data locally via the customer's mobile phone, agents gain better insights to resolve problems more quickly. This means happier customers and less money wasted on needless escalations – a win-win all round.
It’s early days for the new normal that’s emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most broadband providers are still adjusting to this transformed market. But we predict that once the dust has settled, many will start making their home network support capabilities stronger and smarter to meet new demands and gain a competitive edge.
Making these improvements doesn’t have to be a major or extensive undertaking. With the right home network support tools, the four suggestions above can be deployed easily in a matter of weeks. And they’ll quickly go a long way to impressing customers while saving costs where it counts.
