Give call centre agents a comprehensive, online device support platform

17 Oct 2014

Investment in strong online customer-care strategies is becoming an imperative in the mobile operator industry, especially in Africa, where the first wave of smartphone users is on a rapid rise. Nonetheless, customer care agents are not properly equipped to deal with the daily onslaught of enquiries from a broad and growing range of internet-capable devices.

Image: /www.freedigitalphotos.net

The secret to empowering customer care agents, explained Lars Houbak, CEO of device intelligence specialist Mobilethink, is to give them access to a comprehensive, online device support platform.

Quick-and-accurate solutions to smartphone problems can be achieved through instant access to:

Picture-based, interactive step-by-step guides for overcoming the most common problems that call centre agents come across, for every device on the network;

Guides supporting the latest devices and operating systems, so that agents can explore and understand new smartphone features and functionality;

Guides for installing and troubleshooting popular over-the-top (OTT) apps and services that have the potential to increase traffic on the network; and

Easily editable guides that encourage agents to add their own findings and advice, respond to special requests, and highlight uncommon issues.

"Based on data collected from our customers, a common question that subscribers ask is how to boost their smartphone's battery life (which, for some devices, can start to decline within six months). Without an effective and highly specialised online support tool, agents can end up wasting a lot of time trawling for information on the internet, or may even have no clue about how to solve such device-related problems, leaving both customers and agents frustrated and unhappy," said Houbak.

"This will not only have an impact on your customer care centre's efficiency, but also on cost. With the torrent of new devices constantly being released, it makes sense to use web-based support tools rather than costly and time-consuming training sessions. We've seen at first-hand the impact that giving staff access to this level of information has had on our clients' issue resolution times."

How to support and troubleshoot

"Giving call centre agents quick and simple access to information on how to support and troubleshoot smartphone issues makes customer support much more effective, lowering the average call-handling time, reducing escalations to second-level support and cutting the number of call-backs required - which all adds up to a healthier bottom line. And it's good for your brand too. Your customers will be happy when what probably started as a poor experience with your brand, ends as a great one," said Houbak.

Houbak encourages operators to consider the strategic benefits of investing in a comprehensive online device support tool, showcasing it in stores and embedding it on their web portals - especially when it comes to positioning themselves as the go-to smartphone specialist in their market.

"Africa is a very exciting place for new mobile internet services and smartphones. The region has its unique challenges with regard to efficient support and troubleshooting services, but with the right device support strategy across all customer touch-points, the opportunities here are endless."