* This article is part of a White Paper called “What Telecom Customers Expect from Your Website and how to Exceed Their Expectations.”
The Telcom industry has become a commodity product—all now offer pretty much the same handsets and pretty much the same monthly prices. So focusing on service can help you obtain and retain customers by differentiating your offering in the market.
One way to do that is to have a site that dazzles new customers and does not frustrate existing ones. Here are some tips to exceed customer expectations with your website.
1. Purchase or Subscribe to the Best Possible Customer Ticketing System
People in Silicon Valley now say that business operates or should operate in the API economy. That means a company should not just use one allencompassing tool. Instead they should make their site a collection of the best ideas coming out of the Silicon Valley startup culture.
What was once a startup, only a new idea, has now morphed into the market leader. So use that. Lots of bright people have given significant thought to customer support, as it has always been a significant problem.
So use one of these the best tools possible for that, like Freshdesk or Zendesk.
2. Use Social Media
Twitter is one of the best tools for customer support, if not the best.
When so many people use social media it is natural that they would want to turn there for customer support. They already know how social media works.
On risk is the customers have the expectation that your social media account will be responsive. So if you use that, make sure that your agents respond in a timely fashion.
3. Keep the Mobile App Simple
A cell phone subscriber is probably not going to install your mobile phone app, unless they are on a prepaid plan or one whose data plan is not unlimited. Then they would use the app to check their minutes and MBs and recharge their balance.
Given the limited real estate on the small cell phone screen, the smartphone app should not try to deliver too many functions to the user.
4. Use a Cloud-Based Billing Service
Many telecom billing systems have been in place for decades. You might not be able to replace all of that, but you can front-end it with something newer.
As we mentioned above, when it is an API economy then someone in the market has built the best product. Front end your system that will cause the least frustration with your customers.
5. Use Dazzling Multimedia to Showcase New Offerings
New products drive sales. People want the latest gadgets. The website can entice the customer to upgrade their handset or sign up as a new customer by offering striking multimedia presentations.
These let the customer rotate the phone 360°, see the front and back, and zoom in and out. Go to a graphic design firm or someone who specializes in that or use a third party sales engine that does that.
6. Connect the Sales Engine to Amazon
Instead of buying or building a sales engine, use the very best, which is Amazon.
This does not mean you have to sell through their channel. They license their platform to other companies.
Amazon also has some of the best up-time in the world as lots of huge corporations using their cloud services.
7. Use the Silicon Valley Look and Feel
If you look at some of the major telecom company web sites, many of them look cluttered. Most of these old companies are not known for customer service.
So it is no surprise that their site does not service customers well. A well-designed site should not look like the 100 year old monopoly.
Your website should be easy to navigate and not be too cluttered. There are third party companies that do nothing but review websites for ease of use and appeal. Engage one of those to review your design.
8. Offer Online Guidance
Offer onscreen guidance to help your customers complete their online tasks successfully.
Use a tool like WalkMe to guide the user as they navigate the site. That offers tips and instructions as the user hovers the mouse over fields and works through the different screens.
9. Make Sure You Offer These Sales Functions
• Customer acquisition and selling devices.
• Buy online and pickup in store.
• Transfer contacts.
• Port numbers.
• Plans.
• Solicit feedback and Profile Customers.
• Track your device order.
• Chat Window.
10. Make Sure You Offer These Support Functions
• Change from prepaid to contract or vice versa.
• Social media.
• Download bills in .xls, .cvs, and .pdf formats.
• Frequently asked questions.
• Create a ticket.
• Provide a Mobile App.
• Coverage map.
• Recharge Balance for Prepaid Plans.
• Report a stolen phone.
• Provide Usage Graphs and Speed tests.
This article is part of a White Paper called “What Telecom Customers Expect from Your Website and how to Exceed Their Expectations.”
To read the rest of it, follow the link below.
The White Paper covers a range of topics including:
Chapter 1: Seven Online Obstacles that Derail Your Customer Success Efforts.
Chapter 2: 10 Tips to Exceed Your Telecom Customers Online Experiences.
Chapter 3: Tools You Must Know About that Will Make Online Self-Service Effortless.
To receive a free copy to your email, click here: