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The ONR Group
The Secrets to Stellar Customer Support in Telecom
Achieving dominance through exceptional support. How leading Telco brands build loyalty and elevate CX across channels.
The Gist
• Exceptional support experience. Top-performing telecom brands are three times more likely to provide exceptional customer support, leading to increased loyalty and satisfaction.
• Cross-channel consistency. Inconsistent experiences across multiple channels frustrate customers, highlighting the need for integrated support strategies to enhance brand perception.
• Importance of compassion. Brands that train staff to show compassionate communication are 2.4 times more likely to deliver professional support.
Delivering exceptional customer support in telecommunications has become a key differentiator for leading brands. Top-performing telco companies have not only achieved dominance by consistently meeting and exceeding customer expectations, but they also have fostered stronger loyalty through superior support experiences.
CX4ROCKS and bespokeCX, in partnership with OnResearch, conducted a survey between July 19 and Aug. 2 to investigate how consumers' preferences toward a brand shift based on their interactions across different touchpoints throughout their journey. The survey targeted 659 customers in the U.S. and Canada and included national and regional brands such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Comcast, Cox Communication, Cincinnati Bell and more. For this study, our confidence interval is +/- 3.8 with 95% accuracy.
The most important finding of this research is that top telecom brands are three times more likely than middling brands and 34 times more likely than failing brands to provide an exceptional support experience. Such experiences do more than satisfy customers; they deepen emotional connections and significantly enhance brand loyalty. Customers who receive outstanding support are 15 times more likely to report that their loyalty has increased after the experience.
This analysis examines the defining characteristics of exceptional support, highlighting how leading telecom brands leverage cross-channel strategies, compassionate communication and seamless service to build lasting customer relationships and improve overall brand perception.
Three Essential Elements of Customer Support Excellence
The hallmarks of an exceptional support experience goes beyond just closing cases quickly. It’s about evoking three key emotions.
First, customers need to feel that the brand is professional, which makes them three times more likely to view the support as exceptional.
Second, the brand must come across as knowledgeable about its products and services, increasing the likelihood of an exceptional rating by nearly three times.
Lastly, the process should feel effortless to the customer, which can increase the likelihood of them rating the support experience as exceptional by three times.
The Ideal Customer Support Journey
Imagine a customer named Sarah who has run into an issue with her phone service. She tries to resolve it using the company’s self-help tools but quickly realizes she needs more assistance. With just a few clicks, she’s seamlessly connected to a live agent, without having to repeat any details about her problem. This effortless transition from self-help to person-to-person assistance leaves her feeling valued, and her issue is resolved in no time. Because of this smooth process, Sarah walks away feeling satisfied, and she’s now 3.7 times more likely to describe her experience as exceptional.
What made this experience so impactful? The support agent was clearly trained to be compassionate, listened attentively and treated Sarah’s issue as a priority. This kind of compassion isn’t accidental; it's the result of focused training. Brands that teach their staff to consistently show empathy and care are 2.4 times more likely to deliver a professional experience that leaves a lasting positive impression.
But it doesn’t stop there. Sarah didn’t have to wait long to reach the agent, which made the entire experience feel even easier. Brands that ensure their support teams are well-staffed to minimize wait times are 2.8 times more likely to provide this kind of effortless experience.
Additionally, the agent’s communication was clear and direct. Sarah didn’t feel lost in jargon or confused by the responses. This is because the company invests in hiring employees who are not only knowledgeable but also excellent communicators. Brands that focus on hiring staff with strong communication skills — whether written or verbal — are 2.7 times more likely to be perceived as knowledgeable and competent.
This story of Sarah’s smooth support journey is a prime example of how brands can deliver exceptional customer service. By making it easy to transition from self-help to live assistance, training staff to show compassion, ensuring proper staffing to reduce wait times and hiring strong communicators, a support organization can significantly improve customer loyalty and satisfaction.
However, achieving this level of service requires seamless coordination between various teams within — and sometimes even outside — the support department. When done right, it not only improves brand preference but also deepens the bond between the customer and the brand.
A Disjointed Customer Journey Erodes Trust and Loyalty
Brands struggle with delivering consistent cross-channel experiences, leading to fragmented customer journeys, reduced trust and weakened brand perception. Inconsistencies across different touchpoints cause customer frustration, increased effort and missed opportunities for personalization. This not only diminishes customer loyalty but also highlights operational inefficiencies and silos within the organization.
Ultimately, poor cross-channel experiences impact revenue, as customers are more likely to abandon a brand in favor of competitors offering smoother, more unified interactions. Addressing these issues requires significant investment in technology and strategy to create seamless, integrated customer experiences.
A common scenario for telecom customers involves facing network issues — one of the most frequent types of support requests. Customers reaching out for help in these situations expect quick and efficient resolutions. However, only 35% of these cases are handled exceptionally well, often leaving customers feeling frustrated with the prolonged process, despite the brand’s strengths in other areas.
On the other hand, when it comes to technical troubleshooting, which makes up just 16% of support requests, telecom brands tend to perform much better. Customers often receive clear guidance and professional assistance, leading to a smoother and more satisfactory experience. This contrast shows that while brands excel at managing more complex, technical issues, the most common and frequent requests, like network problems, are where they struggle.
The challenges are even more evident with billing and payment issues, which account for 21% of requests. Telecom brands often falter in this area, leaving customers stuck in long wait times, shuffled between departments or forced to repeat their issue multiple times. This inefficiency not only frustrates customers but also risks weakening their loyalty to the brand.
The disparity in performance across different types of support highlights the need for improvement — especially in handling the most frequent requests — to maintain customer satisfaction.
Navigating the Challenges of Multi-Channel Customer Support
The increasing number of channels also complicates the customer journey and makes it more difficult for brands to manage effectively. Fragmented data, siloed operations and heightened customer expectations make it challenging to deliver consistent and personalized experiences. Managing multiple channels strains resources, as each requires staffing, training and technological support, and integrating these touchpoints into a cohesive ecosystem adds further complexity.
Additionally, operational costs are rising, and mapping the customer journey across diverse channels is becoming more intricate. As a result, brands face significant challenges in maintaining seamless, efficient and satisfying customer experiences across an expanding array of platforms. While phone and website channels dominate in terms of support volume and effectiveness, the efficiency of each channel varies significantly based on the nature of the request.
It's important to note that the in-store experience is generally lacking across all brands. Both top and middling brands show relatively poor in-store performance, while failing brands fare even worse.
However, there are four key differences between top and middling brands. Top brands make it significantly easier to communicate through mobile apps (1.8x), social media (1.8x), email (1.6x) and chat/text (1.5x). Additionally, compared to failing brands, top brands make websites (6.4x) and email (4.2x) much more user-friendly.
The effectiveness of customer support channels varies significantly depending on the type of request, emphasizing the need for brands to tailor their support strategies to the strengths of each platform. Phone and website channels remain dominant and effective, particularly for troubleshooting and general support cases. However, challenges persist, such as phone support’s struggle with general complaints and billing and payments.
To deliver an exceptional customer experience, brands must continue to optimize the allocation of resources, refine support processes and ensure that each channel is equipped to handle the specific needs of their customers efficiently and consistently.
Elevating Customer Connections: The Path Forward
Leading telecom brands have solidified their dominance by delivering exceptional customer support across various channels, a key factor in building customer loyalty and enhancing brand perception. By focusing on seamless transitions between self-help and live assistance, fostering compassion, ensuring proper staffing and hiring strong communicators, these brands have created support systems that exceed customer expectations.
However, challenges remain, particularly in handling the most frequent support requests, such as network, billing and payment issues, where inconsistencies and inefficiencies erode customer trust.
The complexity of managing a multi-channel support environment further complicates the customer journey. Fragmented data, operational silos and rising customer expectations hinder many brands from delivering a unified experience. Despite excelling in technical troubleshooting, telco brands struggle with more common requests, highlighting the need for improvement in these areas to maintain customer satisfaction. Even so, top brands have been able to carve out key areas of dominance when it comes to the following channels: email, chat/text, mobile app and social.
To sustain and strengthen their positions, telco brands must align their support strategies with the strengths of each channel, invest in integrated technology solutions, and coordinate efforts across departments. By addressing these challenges head-on, brands can ensure they consistently deliver the exceptional support experiences that drive loyalty and long-term success.
The Authors: A Brief History
SEAN ALBERTSON
As a CX leader for 20+ years across companies from startups to Fortune 200. I have been at the forefront of transforming the customer journey to reduce effort and drive customer loyalty.
I love sharing my experience from the stage as an international speaker and as a CX advisor. I have created advanced CX programs leveraging text analytics, operational metrics, journey analytics and survey programs, with artificial intelligence driving real results.
He is the author of the award-winning book, 4ROCKS: Reduce Effort, Drive Loyalty, Transform the Customer Journey.
JASON TEN-POW
Jason Ten-Pow is a trailblazer in customer experience (CX) transformation, strategy, and analytics. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies and growth brands across various industries, including technology, healthcare, consumer goods, and financial services, to strengthen customer relationships, enhance retention strategies, and improve customer support processes. Ten-Pow has guided global giants like Intel, Deloitte, and Coca-Cola in mastering CX.
In 2001, Ten-Pow founded ONR, a pioneering firm focused on online research in customer satisfaction, experience, and segmentation. Under his vision and leadership, ONR has continuously invested in proprietary systems, research, and analytics tools to drive client business growth, improve customer journey strategies, and enhance post-purchase support and retention.
In 2021, Ten-Pow published the best-selling book Unbreakable, which outlines the five stages of CX mastery, providing companies with a roadmap to elevate customer relationships. His innovative strategies have transformed the way businesses interact with their customers, resulting in increased revenue, operational efficiency, and employee engagement for his clients.
In 2023, ONR launched its latest platform, bespokeCX, offering VoC, advanced customer intelligence analytics and actionable strategy development. This platform helps businesses understand their unique challenges and develop tailored action plans based on customer insights for a personalized, frictionless experience.
Based in Toronto and Orlando, Jason Ten-Pow remains at the forefront of CX excellence, committed to helping brands thrive through exceptional customer loyalty and strategic insight.
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