Research into customers’ mobile phone use has shown that one in seven people have been persuaded to stay with their mobile provider during a call to cancel their contract. The survey which interviewed more than 2,000 British adults, was carried out by YouGov on behalf of Firstsource Solutions a business process outsourcing company.
The research found that different age ranges react differently in their call centre interactions. For example, in the 25-34 year old group, one in four has been persuaded to stay with their existing mobile operator. It also found that over 55 year olds were the least persuadable with just 6% continuing with their mobile provider when they rang up to cancel.
Customer churn is a major challenge for mobile operators, generally estimated at around 30 to 40%. A Pitney Bowes study in 2007 found that Britain had the highest rate of churn in Europe. This study also found that UK customer defection rates were 38.6% in 2007 – an increase from 33.4% from 2005. Though recent figures aren’t readily available for major telecoms providers, one major operator reported annual churn rates of 41% in June 2009.
“The survey shows that good interpersonal communication and empathetic customer service can make a real difference to telecoms operators’ business,” said Santani Nandi, executive vice president of Firstsource Solutions’ Telecom and Media division. “Although customers are increasingly being encouraged to use email, text and online chat, there are still advantages for mobile and broadband providers in retaining voice contact with customers. A good conversation with a customer service advisor is more likely to persuade customers to retain their contracts and even to buy more services such as mobile data or broadband.”
