16
Telecommunications consumer experiences research Lesley Osborne Manager, Digital Society Policy and Research

Reconnect The Customer Summit

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Telecommunications consumer experiences researchLesley OsborneManager, Digital Society Policy and Research

Page 2: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Telecommunications customer research

> Telecommunications customer service experiences and associated behaviours

> 3G mobile bill-payers’ understanding of billing and charging arrangements

> Informed consent

Page 3: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Potential problem areas for customers explored in the research

> Contract understanding> Understanding of charging and billing

arrangements> Including unexpected high bills

> Customer service experience> Complaints-handling process

Page 4: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Contract understanding> Consent versus informed consent> Extent to which customers read their contract:

Base: 3G mobile bill payers from fixed-line HH n= 949.Source: B8a. At the time of purchasing your current mobile phone plan, to what extent did you read the contract?

Page 5: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Contract understanding –3G mobile customers

13%

20%

11%

8%

Chargingarrangements

Language/jargon

Inclusions/exclusions

Consequences ofexceeding cap limit

Base: Fixed-line HH n= 949, non-fixed-line HH n= 120.Source: B8c. What aspects of the contract were the most difficult to understand?

Page 6: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Understanding of charging arrangements – 3G mobile customers

> Three quarters were confident in their understanding of plan inclusions (calls and SMS)

> Just over half were confident in their understanding of excess call charges

> Of 3G feature users, half were confident in their understanding of excess data charges

Page 7: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Unexpectedly high bills – 3G mobile customers> Half of 3G post-paid bill payers have experienced bill shock> 44% of 3G prepaid bill payers have experience credit running

out faster than expected

Base: Fixed-line household bill-payers n=482. Main reasons only shown (>10%).Source: D1c. And where did you exceed your usual usage?

Page 8: Reconnect The Customer Summit

ACMA recommendations 1,2 & 4

1. Clearer pricing information in advertisements

2. Better information about plans (improved product disclosure)

4. Tools to monitor usage and expenditure

Page 9: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Customer service experience> Four in ten customers were neutral or dissatisfied

with recent customer service

Base: Contacted CSP in last six months n=1,420; other reasons omitted.Q21. On how many occasions did you contact your service provider about this issue?

Average number of contacts with CSP, per reason for contact

Total average (3.1)

Page 10: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Drivers of customer satisfaction - telephone

2

21

21

1

13

2

0

5

13

6

5

2

9

0

0 10 20 30 40 50

Not having any language barriersThe extent staff did what they said they would do

Being able to resolve the issue in a reasonable timeStaff giving the correct information

Staff being interested in helping meStaff being familiar with my personal account details

Staff being friendly or courteousStaff having the authority to deal with my issue

Staff being knowledgeable to deal with my issueBeing able to communicate easily with staff

Being able to speak to a person if I wanted toBeing able to navigate easily through the voice prompt menu

The waiting time before speaking to a customer service representativeEase of finding providers' contact details

%Base: Contacted CSP in last six months by telephone n=1,295

Page 11: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Opportunity analysis - telephone

Ease of finding providers'

contact details

The waiting time before speaking to a customer service representative

Being able to navigate easily through the

voice prompt menu

Being able to speak to a person if I wanted to

Being able to communicate easily with staff

Staff being knowledgeable to deal with my issue

Staff having the authority to deal with my issue

Staff being friendly or courteous

Staff being familiar with my personal account details

Staff being interested in helping me

Staff giving the correct information

Being able to resolve the issue in a reasonable time The extent staff did what they said

they would do

Not having any language barriers

0

5

10

15

20

25

4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8Satisfaction with CSP telephone customer service

(Performance)

Ke

y d

riv

ers

of

sa

tis

fac

tio

n o

f C

SP

te

lep

ho

ne

cu

sto

mer

se

rvic

e (

Imp

ort

an

ce

)

Focus areas Leverage strength

Monitor Maintain

Page 12: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Respondent comments – focus groups

[Respondent talking about average number of calls on an issue]: ‘Depends if you get cut off or not, by them [general agreement/laughter]. Often if they can’t deal with your problem, oh woops, you’re not on the phone anymore.’

(Alice Springs, female, 18–34, non-switcher, 7 October 2010.)

‘They say they can’t fix the problem, that’s the frustrating part, they put you on to somebody else … or onto someone then the line drops out … then somebody who is going to call you back doesn’t … by this stage you become so frustrated … you’re ready to bin it, put the phone through the wall, be rude’.

(Sydney, male, 51–60, switcher, 27 September 2010.)

Page 13: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Complaints-handling processOf those who had contacted a CSP in last six months:>Nearly half were not aware of CSPs complaints-handling policy>8% had dealt with the CSP’s internal complaints department

>Over half reported a positive outcome >However, overall satisfaction with dealing with the

CSPs internal complaints department was 4.8, on a sale of 1 to 10

Page 14: Reconnect The Customer Summit

External complaints> 11% of those who had contacted a CSP in the last six months had ever

lodged a complaint with the TIO

5

19

4

1

3

15

16

1

5

7

35

0 20 40 60 80 100

Can't say

Others

I didn't follow through with the process

Changed CSPs because issue wasn't resolved

TIO said there was nothing they could do

Nothing/ unresolved

TIO referred me to the CSP's resolution department

Took a long time to resolve

Was refunded

My issue was resolved

TIO facilitated a resolution—mediated

%

48% resolved

35% unresolved

Base: Contacted CSP in last six months and had lodged a complaint with TIO for any issue experienced n=161.Q42. What happened as a result of your complaint to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman?

Page 15: Reconnect The Customer Summit

ACMA recommendations 3, 5, 6

> Comparisons between providers on customer care performance

> Better complaints management> Changes to the Telecommunications Industry

Ombudsman Scheme

Page 16: Reconnect The Customer Summit

Thank you

Full research reports available at:

engage.acma.gov.au/reconnecting/research-studies

Questions?

Contact: [email protected]