keeping customers reducing churn through support and upgrade optimization

Elastic Path™ Elastic Path™

Keeping Customers: Reducing Churn Through

Support and Upgrade Optimization

Featuring: Linda Bustos, director of ecommerce research and

author of the Get Elastic blog at Elastic Path Software

Elastic Path Software Inc.

June 15, 2012

http://www.elasticpath.com/webinar/telecom-support-and-upgrade-optimization

http://www.elasticpath.com/webinar/telecom-support-and-upgrade-optimization


Introducing Elastic Path Software

Digital Commerce for Innovators

• We help the world’s biggest brands sell digital goods and services

• We provide a flexible digital commerce platform and expertise in commerce

strategy and implementation

• #1 ecommerce blog www.getelastic.com

• For more on-demand digital commerce resources

www.elasticpath.com/resources

http://www.getelastic.com

http://www.elasticpath.com/resources


Preview

• Optimizing your web channel for existing

customers

• Self service

• Mobile tools


Optimizing for existing customers


Targeted selling

• Home pages typically tailored for new

customers

• Rarely recognize returning customers (vs.

visitors)


Serve content to identified customer visits


Clear upgrade call-to-action

Support links


Password tips

• Username should be phone number (wireless only)

– Otherwise email address

• Strong passwords

– state the rules, show an example

• Password hints

– Questions with only ONE possible answer (mother’s maiden name, birth city vs. favorite color, favorite teacher)


Social sign-on


Social sign-on

• Eliminate need for username / password

• Auto-authentication (when logged in to FB)

• Auto-fill community profile (forums)

• Connects the rest of your site socially

(downloads, device reviews, social gifting, etc.)

• Access to rich profile information (interests,

friends’ interests -> CRM)


Social sign-on - questions

• Is it secure?

• Does Facebook own consumer data?

• What if Facebook goes down?

• Will it work on mobile?

• Can it be reversed?


Member content – promote your app


Member content – upgrade and renewal promos


Device and plan selection Self service


Self Service

• 2 out of 3 customers prefer self service to

speaking to a live representative (Nuance

Research)

• 75% find it more convenient vs. 6% who find a

live rep more convenient

• Wait times, IVR menus, etc.


Navigating Support

Avoid long menu items

Nobody cares about common support topics

Users scan for trigger words


Navigating Support

Short, easy to scan flyout menu


Navigating Support Use your analytics


Support search

Promote social channel

Support search


Support search

• Natural language

• Synonyms (cultural)

• Misspellings

• Different ways to describe problems

– Renew minutes, top up minutes, add more minutes, reload, etc.

• Use your search logs and forum questions – yours and

competitors’


Search results - scoping


Scoping search


Try video results

Results should be readable at a glance


Scoping search


Avoid landing pages that look like promo pages


Images and video are more helpful

than text instructions


SEO

Get staff answering questions


Get feedback

Was this answer helpful?


Mobile tools


Mobile Tools

• SMS marketing program, renewal / upgrade

notice

• Account management apps

• Extras


Current cycle

View and pay bills


3rd party apps built with API


Make calls to action clear

Make tappable areas large enough


Promotions on home page


Bold calls to action

throughout


Conspicuous upgrade info


Most apps don’t

currently support in-

app upgrade


Value adds like wifi finder

Expand / collapse menu


Advanced

• Smart-controls for family packs (limit kids’ text

data and voice)

• Tablet shared account control

• View past bills

• View itemized bills

• Support for business customers

• Security over wifi


Gift a payment


Sprint TV


Wrap-up

• Keeping customers means supporting the

relationship through the contract period (or

month-to-month)

• Customers prefer self-serve, but usability

challenges make many web self-serve tools

painful

• Mobile apps are replacing web self-serve, make

sure they replicate as much web functionality as

possible


Questions

[email protected]

1.800.942.5282 (toll-free in North America)

www.elasticpath.com

For more on-demand digital commerce resources

www.elasticpath.com/resources

http://www.elasticpath.com/resources

keeping customers reducing churn through support and upgrade optimization

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