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Industry reports: Telecommunications Q1 2009

Telecommunications Firms in Customer Respect Group Study Ranked on How They Provide Online Customer Service

Leaders Use the Web as a Critical Component of Overall Customer Service but Many Companies Struggle to Meet Customer Expectations

 

Verizon Awarded “Best in Class” for Second Successive Year

IPSWICH, Mass., Feb. 20, 2009 — The Customer Respect Group, an international research and consulting firm that focuses on how corporations treat and respect online customers, today released findings from its First Quarter 2009 Online Customer Service Study of Telecommunications Industry Websites.

The study evaluated the websites of ten U.S. providers of telecommunications “triple-play” products – Landline Telephone, High-Speed Internet and Television. Using a common set of criteria, it brings an objective and consistent measure to the analysis of Online Customer Service in two critical areas – Online Help and Account Management.

Summary

Verizon was ranked best in class for the second successive year for overall customer service and led in both Online Help (providing customers with setup and problem resolution) and Account Management (allowing customers to self-manage bills and services online). Verizon was the only company to achieve the “Excellent” rating. In second place for Online Help was Charter Communications, while Qwest came in second for Account Management. These companies provided the highlights of the study and are clearly committed to the delivery of an online customer service component. While industry standards have improved since the study last year, the underlying weakness besetting most sites continues to be the lack of a consistent and integrated platform and set of customer service options across all of the products provided.

The overall rankings were :

Key Findings

While a few companies have built comprehensive customer service platforms that meet expectations of online customers, and other have delivered parts of a solution, there is an overall weakness in the delivery of a complete online solution. The result will likely be additional pressure on the telephone call center or for potential customer dissatisfaction. The critical areas found to be generally deficient, apart from the companies mentioned as best practice leaders, are as follows:

Disjointed Systems Continue to Negatively Impact Customer Experience

A lack of system consolidation and consistency makes the experience on most triple-play sites confusing, with information often spread across multiple sites, and account management systems not providing detailed consistent information across all products.
Best Practice Leaders: Verizon (Online Help, Account Management); Charter, Cablevision (Online Help); Qwest (Account Management)

Account Management Systems Do Not Speak to Individual Customers

The majority of companies fail to offer customers relevant product offers or customized help topics based on their specific circumstances and products owned. The underlying issue is that most systems are Web front ends linking to a series of disconnected back-end systems.
Best Practice Leaders: Qwest, Verizon

Online Billing Adds Little Benefit over Paper Bills

Not enough sites offer functionality that equals or exceeds information available on the paper bill. Customers want to view billing information in a format that allows them to summarize, sort and drill down to greater detail on chargeable items.
Best Practice Leaders: Cablevision, Time Warner, Qwest, Verizon

The Use of Rich Media and Alternative Presentation Is Limited

The use of rich media, including video and interactive presentations, can enhance the customer experience in an area of technical complexity. Tasks such as wireless networking, troubleshooting and e-mail setup could be made easier.
Best Practice Leaders: AT&T, Cablevision, Verizon

User-Generated Content Not Embraced

Forums can provide a rich vein of information as well as a more interactive experience. High-technology companies such as Dell, HP and Apple have employed user-generated content very successfully, but the telecommunications industry is struggling with incorporating this content.
Best Practice Leaders: AT&T, Comcast, Qwest, Verizon

According to Terry Golesworthy, president of The Customer Respect Group, “The telecommunications industry is really struggling to keep online customer service on a pace with the products being delivered, and as we experience greater product interoperability and complexity, support capabilities and costs could become major problems until and unless more customers can self-serve.”

About The Customer Respect Group The Customer Respect Group is an international research and consulting firm that uses its Customer Respect Index (CRI) to help companies improve the effectiveness of their websites. The company is a leader in the objective and scientific measurement of a customer’s online experience. Many of the largest U.S. companies have already adopted the CRI methodology to improve online customer satisfaction and loyalty. The Customer Respect Group is headquartered in metropolitan Boston.

For additional information, visit www.customerrespect.com, call 978-834-6700 or e-mail info@customerrespect.com.

Contact Terry Golesworthy 978-412-0019 terry@customerrespect.com

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