Telcos think out of the box to woo data subscribers

KOLKATA: Mobile carriers are increasingly coming up with innovative customer-support strategies related to network connectivity and device troubleshooting to boost their overall experience and hold on to data subscribers in a fiercely competitive market. Vodafone India is using a tool called ‘virtual remote device access,’ which enables the company to connect to a subscriber’s phone and provide instant handsetrelated troubleshooting.

As one of the biggest users of the self-optimising network or ‘SON’ technology, the No. 2 carrier can largely dispense with the need of rushing field engineers to cell sites to fix mobile broadband network problems. Maxis-owned Aircel has reinforced its battery of device experts and chain of “seva kendras” to deliver higher levels of technical support, while Telenor India has launched Network 360, through which it spots unhappy customers near its mobile towers and fixes their problems. Sistema Shyam Teleservices has applied a variant of the pizza delivery model to resolve technical issues faced by customers.

The company sends field engineers-on-mobikes, or ‘device doctors’ who provide doorstep solutions to issues related to network, hardware compatibility and even systems integration. Mobile operators agree that such innovations have become imperative for customer retention, especially with networks and devices getting complex amid surging appetite for data.

Laxmi Rajan, National Head (Customer Service) at Vodafone India, said the company “relies on a lot of technology tools and processes” to enhance a customer’s network experience. Sistema Shyam’s National Head (Customer Services Delivery) Keshav Tiwary said the company’s battery of “device doctors have managed to drastically cut down turnaround time from 3-5 three-to-five days earlier to an average eight-to-12 hours”.