Consumers prefer to avoid dealing with telecom service provider helpdesks, and they prefer using app-based self-service tools to resolve many common service issues, said a survey by Alcatel-Lucent.
The study conducted in the United States, Brazil, Japan and United Kingdom, indicated that telecom service providers have an opportunity to differentiate themselves in the marketplace with the use of self-help customer service tools, said Alcatel-Lucent.
The market research said that more than a quarter of Japanese, UK and US consumers prefer not to call helpdesks. Almost half of Brazilians are more likely to ignore a problem or allow it to persist to avoid contacting a helpdesk.
While customer service helpdesks remain the primary channel for resolving services issues, it is not the only channel and consumers are showing a growing interest in self-service tools.
Japanese consumers are most willing to use self-help tools such as apps, with up to half of UK consumers and as many as 42 percent of those in the US willing to sort out their own issues. In Brazil, 53-59 percent did report a willingness to use self-service tools, depending on the service.
The functions consumers most want to see in service providers’ apps include billing information, troubleshooting capabilities, usage tracking and security alerts.
The survey interviewed 2,500 consumers in the United States, plus 1,000 each in Brazil, Japan and the United Kingdom.
