Prepaid users (those who are contract-free) in South Africa account for 87% of the total mobile base in the country, with the remainder being post-paid (contract customers).
Here are a few suggestions on how mobile service providers can increase their customers' satisfaction levels.
Mobile products that are sold should always be of high quality and a high-quality service must also always be provided by service providers.
This could be achieved by developing rigorous testing programmes that involve customers or prospects from the target audience to obtain constructive feedback on mobile products or services and so avoid disappointment when the product is launched.
Mobile service providers could, for example, put together focus groups to test and review their products, distribute survey forms that measure customer satisfaction, or even introduce free trial periods to gain acceptance and build customer trust.
These service providers could also ensure that they partner with reliable, well-known, and top-ranked manufacturers (such as Apple, Samsung, and Huawei) that would consistently provide well-designed devices, use improved technology, and are of high quality.
Mobile service providers could ensure that all of their retail stores have the same look and that in-store employees are easy to identify with well-branded uniforms across all stores.
This would increase brand recall and ensure that customers can recognise their service provider’s brand easily. Mobile service providers could also ensure that their marketing is always accurate and truthful.
This could be achieved by ensuring that, in all of their advertising, products’ value propositions are communicated in simple language that is easy for customers to understand. Also, it is advised that marketing collaterals such as brochures, leaflets, and broadsheets be the same across all customer touchpoints for ease of identification and reading.
Service providers could also adopt a multilingual approach, rather than using English only, in their marketing collaterals to appeal to different ethnic groups.
Through such an approach, a broader target market segment could be reached, with whom the mobile brand could communicate and develop an emotional bond through linguistic engagement.
Mobile service providers should find ways to connect with customers in a deeper way to form an emotional connection with their brand. This implies that service providers should demonstrate that they genuinely care about their customers to win their hearts.
One way would be by anticipating their customers’ product or service needs before they arise, which would make customers feel understood and taken care of. Service providers could also invest in customer service software that tracks customers’ buying habits and preferences.
This software would enable the mobile service provider to send reminders to customers to re-order previously purchased mobile deals on a timetable that matches their habits.
Another way to build a relationship that fosters customer trust would be for service providers to leverage the power of the personal touch.
This could be achieved by taking the time to make ad hoc individual courtesy phone calls to check in on the customer’s well-being; send notes on birthdays or holidays or for personal milestones; and even send regular signs of appreciation such as thank-you notes – all of which make an invaluable human connection.
In addition, service providers should show genuine concern for their customers when issues are raised. These should be resolved by owning up and admitting to mistakes and delivering an after-service experience that strengthens customer satisfaction and, ultimately, customer confidence in the brand.
Mobile cellular service providers should take responsibility for educating their customer base on how to use technology to engage with the supplier.
For instance, free training videos could be provided that customers (such as prepaid customers) could view on how to use chatbots to address frequently asked questions. Furthermore, customers could be provided with in-house training sessions by the mobile cellular service provider at times that are convenient to the customer.
The development of training schedules, incorporating sessions throughout the working day on a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for a long-term scheduled period of the year, could be considered.Given the discussion above, it is hoped that the guidelines provided here offer mobile service providers some light on the marketing strategies to be implemented to achieve greater customer satisfaction and loyalty in the mobile prepaid segment.
