Telecommunications
In a year-on-year comparison, the telco sector managed to move up a spot, coming in sixth and leaving Utilities, Travel and Hotels, and now also Grocery Retail in the dust. The sector held on to roughly the same CEE score after improving it greatly last year, with most pillars stagnating except for two: personalization and resolution. The sector’s “big three” took the winner’s podium, with T-Mobile claiming the top spot, followed by Vodafone and O2 that replaced Mobil.cz, a virtual carrier and last year’s dark horse. This year, however, there were not enough respondents for Mobil.cz – perhaps an indication that people are going back to traditional carriers.
Clarity first
The telco sector is constantly changing and evolving, both in terms of services and available technologies. Big players are increasingly loosening the reins, allowing clients to move away from pre-set plans and letting them choose what they need more freely. Vodafone scored big in personalization and empathy by adding a number of plans with unlimited data to its portfolio. Now, customers can opt for plans with faster internet marked with a + symbol. And with the plans presented clearly, customers can quickly find what they need.
The sector’s winner, T-Mobile, managed to improve in personalization, time and effort, integrity, and resolution, while O2 ended up with a worse total score compared to last year. Still, its offer is on par with the competition and the company understands that customers often need help navigating the complicated world of telco, trying to provide just that on its website. Under the O2 Guru section, customers can get help when choosing a new phone or service, get app recommendations or step-by-step assistance when solving device-related issues. And thanks to trends from other sectors, customers are getting more and more used to self-service. A simple, well-organised app capable of handling important requests in one place is absolutely instrumental for those hoping to achieve success.
The whole world in your remote
Long gone are the days when carriers would only provide us with means to make phone calls and send text messages. Take T-Mobile, who has been running their own TV packages for seven years now, with over 170 channels in 4K resolution available under the new name MAGENTA TV. A spot showing off the competitive advantage of such a broad (and unheard of) channel selection featuring Alexander Hemala, the legendary Czech news anchor, is just a cherry on top. MAGENTA TV is also the only product on the Czech market that allows customers to access all major broadcasters including SPI International, Warner Bros. Discovery, AMC Networks International or CANAL+, and provides exclusive access to premium sports channels Premier Sport 1 and 2 and Nova Sport 3 and 4.
However, the remaining two players won’t be put to shame easily, each with their own TV service. In April 2020, Vodafone merged with UPC, an internet service provider, expanding its offer with a wide range of TV options featuring over 100 channels and several packages to choose from, with some including subscriptions to VOYO or Disney Channel. As for personalization, they’ve got that covered with an option to stream content on up to six devices at once. Last but not least, O2 has 142 channels on offer, including premium channels like HBO or a broad selection of sports channels. And customer reviews clearly show that they like having “one contract to rule them all”.
Top three (scale 0–10)
„My girlfriend and I use a T-Mobile plan with an extra discount provided by our employer, which is great. The app is easy to navigate, and I can manage both our plans with ease.“
Man, age 24, T-Mobile
„Helpful attitude – they helped me put together a solid plan with high-speed internet and coverage everywhere, so I recommend this company.“
Man, age 31, Vodafone
„I lost my phone, but the T-Mobile store staff helped me block the lost SIM card, transfer the phone number, and pick a new device. They also helped me set up my plan and contract addenda, and they also offered a paid TV plan.“
Woman, 52, T-Mobile
„I reported a local internet connection issue and they responded and worked on fixing it immediately, offering to use mobile data until the issue was resolved.“
Man, age 85, T-Mobile
A quick response is a good response
Many customers are truly dependent on the carriers’ services – and to those who need internet access for work, any network issue is a pressing one. Reviews show that very clearly, and the negative ones are most often caused by customers being unable to quickly get a hold of a “real person” who could start dealing with the issue immediately. For providers, AI and machine learning could offer a solution to lacking reaction speeds – one look at other telco giants shows that these technologies can be (and already are) applied successfully in this sector.
Smart solutions
Detect needs and potential issues
AI algorithms are capable of detecting problems in the telecommunications networks (like connectivity issues) and fixing them quickly, just like they do in utility networks. This means that customers might not even notice that there was an issue – one less thing for them to deal with. AI can also help fine-tune personalized offers and solutions using NBA and NBO methods (next best action/offer) that, as the name suggests, asses what’s the next best available action or offer that can be presented to the customer. Vodafone also uses AI to optimize coverage, analyse network usage and suggest additional services to existing customers.
The offer you cannot refuse
Based on user behaviour patterns, providers can time a tailored offer just right. Self-learning algorithms collect information on types of customers and services they might be interested in, which reduces the load for carriers and makes the product selection process more efficient. All this allows to pair customers with potentially suitable data packages, or, for instance, adjust the suggested TV content based on what they like to watch. Comcast, the world’s biggest broadcasting and cable provider in terms of revenue, is already using this feature, including smart voice control options customers can use. Time will tell if these technologies make it to the local market as well.
Telecommunications
