When it comes to their success and growth, every business hopes to foster happy and contented customers as the primary component. However, keeping all the customers in a state of perpetual satisfaction can become daunting and even fleeting for most organizations. Telcos are no exception. To achieve such an ideal business state, telcos must align workable and scalable strategies to ensure smooth operations. In an increasingly digitalized world, telcos find themselves immersed in such strategies in every sector, be it education, healthcare, agriculture, industries, the environment and so on. Although telcos have remained at the center of comprehensive ICT operations for a long time, the new digital environment gives customers many options to pick from, and hence, telcos must stay at the operational forefront in order to stay relevant and on top of their game. Here are some considerations from a telco’s perspective for maintaining a long-lasting relationship with their customers moving forward.
Data Bonuses for Favorite Activities
In the age of content streaming, customers expect seamless connectivity 24/7. A little lag or insufficient data means an interruption in the digital-experience flow. Bearing this in mind, industry leader Orange channelizes its position as an all-in-one entertainment service provider by offering complimentary data bonuses to access Spotify’s service to keep its customers happy. For instance, Orange Middle East & Africa and music streaming company Spotify partnered to provide a new music experience to mobile users when subscribing to mobile offers. Every region has its own preferred form of engagement when it comes to social and recreational activities. Similarly, extra data can be provided to customers for educational or CSR purposes. Telcos can tap into such preferences to tailor their mobile offerings with adequate data availability for their customers’ enhanced digital experience. In a rapidly evolving ICT industry, such upgrades play a vital role in attracting loyal customers and boosting competition among telecom companies in the growing market.
Cyber and Physical Security
A weak cybersecurity infrastructure puts corporate operations, brand reputation, financial conditions and overall trust at grave risk. It can hinder revenue-generating and service-delivery processes and even snowball into legal and regulatory penalties, negatively impacting a company's financial performance. According to Statista, the global cost of cybercrime is expected to increase by nearly 70% over the next five years, growing to $13.82 trillion by 2028. “Regardless of the organization’s structure, those at the top have a duty to understand and monitor the critical cyberthreats that could impact the organization. They need to oversee the strategies, policies, and procedures required to adequately mitigate risks and ensure that there is a response plan to contain the impact of a compromise. They also need to ensure that they have systems to detect, investigate, and eradicate an intrusion and to comply with contractual, legal, and regulatory requirements,” writes Rafi Brenner, vice president, information security, at Fortinet. Furthermore, telecom networks are susceptible to physical threats, such as sabotage and damage. Consequently, telecom operators need to have robust security measures in place to protect the physical aspects of network infrastructure as well. With data governance and privacy taking precedence in today’s digitalized economy, customers are always assessing this aspect scrupulously.
Streamlined Communication
Imagine a scenario where an important business-client deal cannot be closed because of an interruption in connectivity. Businesses spend a great deal of time, effort and capital onboarding clients, and steady and reliable communication channels are of prime importance in this regard. Telecom has proved it is a mission-critical infrastructure. Especially in light of today’s dynamic business environment with an increasingly hybrid working trend, a unified communication platform that incorporates telephony service becomes a powerful tool for every business communication as it supports business-critical activities in terms of video conferencing and remote working. In addition, it allows families to keep in touch at all times. Customizing solutions that go beyond traditional methods of communication will spur innovative ways of strengthening collaboration while increasing productivity and driving the digital transformation agenda. Moreover, the digital economy is accelerating exponentially. The robustness and agility of public digital infrastructure (DPI) will be instrumental in developing the tools and opportunities to connect with a global audience and contribute to the digital revolution. DPI refers to platforms such as digital identification, payment infrastructure and data exchange solutions that help countries deliver essential services to their citizens, empowering them and improving their lives through digital inclusion. A network of reliable communication channels thus becomes a determining factor for the future of digitized economies.
Fortified Partnerships
Telcos are at a strategic intersection, and success in the new reality requires putting consumers at the heart of their value propositions. “To do this, telcos must design seamless new solutions protected by meaningful data security,” observes Alex Holt, global head of telecoms & media at KPMG. Telcos cannot work in silos to achieve their customer experience targets. To come up with workable solutions that address the pain points of customers, telcos must forge strong partnerships with other industry specialists and work collaboratively towards the goal. A prime example of taking customer experience in the right direction is that of the UAE’s e&, the global technology company. Through its many verticals — e& life, e& enterprise, e& international and e& capital — it offers customers secure and adaptive e-payment solutions, streamlining daily financial transactions for users. Its service suite caters to both individuals and businesses, encompassing offerings like investments in real estate, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and gold, as well as loans and financial consultancy. Such initiative not only bolsters the company’s revenue-generating capacity and enhanced customer experience, but it also adds to the operating country’s economy.
Also read: Ooredoo Partners with Tamimah Digital for B2B Online Marketplace
Attentive and Problem-Solving Services
No matter how technologically sophisticated the telecom operators' services may be, if they lack the human factor, then the whole exercise can be futile. The entire process of subscribing to mobile services must be easy and flexible. For instance, customers should not have a harrowing time switching from one plan to another or revising their preferences. Many times, customers are seen haggling with the customer care representative over unresolved issues. Such occurrences stem from “unattended service gaps” that destroy the very idea of a superior customer experience. Even the signing of long-term commitments must be made flexible, and customers should have the option of selecting their preferred plans with minimal hassle. From a human perspective, any unpleasant experience from telecom providers is the last thing customers want. Ultimately, telcos must maintain a sustained focus on meeting customers’ individual needs, thus ensuring that they remain valued and respected at all times.