By Susan J. Campbell
Data usage patterns clearly demonstrate that consumers today have a rapidly increasing appetite for advanced communications and multimedia capabilities. Emerging broadband and data services are fueling this appetite as they promise a new and better customer experience. The communications industry is feeling the pressure to deliver on this promise or lose market share.
A recent white paper by Alcatel-Lucent, Listen Up: Is Servicing Customers a Cost or An Investment?, explores this phenomenon. It has become clear that simply expanding the network to handle increased demand is not enough. Today’s service providers must also focus on the customer experience transformation if they hope to drive lasting success.
Service providers today do have the basic tools necessary to enhance their broadband service offerings. To truly succeed, however, they must be able to leverage solutions that will enable them to use these tools to deliver a customer experience that is not only simplified, but also improved. The technical support interaction point can be the most critical as it can serve as the trigger point for meaningful customer experience transformation, or a frustrated subscriber seeking service elsewhere.
The Customer Experience Transformation program offered by Alcatel-Lucent is the company’s vision for how its customers can differentiate services based on a deep understanding of each individual customer. It is essential that the service provider have the tools and the drive to make great customer experience a part of their brand promise.
In the mobile space, the customer experience transformation focus is known as the ServiceView for Mobile (SVM). The SVM ensures service providers have the visibility, control and network-based device management capabilities necessary to support quality performance across the entire service delivery chain.
Alcatel-Lucent uses the SVM to enable service providers to leverage its current network assets, as well as service and application intelligence, to streamline technical support, generate up-sell opportunities, and deliver a richer and more satisfying mobile broadband experience.
When leveraged properly, the SVM solution can enable service providers to improve the overall customer experience by increasing customer satisfaction through increased first call resolution rates, self-service capabilities and average handle time reductions; improving operational efficiency through reduced average handle times, lowering the number of calls handled and decreasing escalations of routine issues; lowering the risk solution with shorter time to revenue; partnering to take projects from concept to reality; integrating field-proven solutions based on Alcatel-Lucent products; and delivering the professional services necessary to get the solution to market as quickly as possible.
The Customer Experience Transformation is a necessary approach for service providers seeking to claim a solid piece of the growing opportunities in this market. Consumer demand is only set to increase and focusing on the total experience ensures that all demanded elements are met to drive optimal success.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.
