Service providers must accelerate pace of digital transformation and quickly make critical adjustments to customer experiences to remain relevant

Amdocs, the leading provider of customer experience solutions, today announced the findings of a global survey that highlights the impact of digital lifestyle on Thai consumers’ expectations from their service providers. Thai consumers are increasingly showing preference to use digital channels for customer care and service interactions, and are demanding the ability to control and personalize products, services, and experiences. Interestingly, the survey reveals that many consumers would consider switching to digital companies such as Apple, Facebook, and Google, if they offered connectivity similar to that of traditional service providers.
Amdocs Customer Experience Spotlight 2016, an independent study conducted by 451 Research on behalf of Amdocs, highlights the importance of embracing and anticipating emerging digital habits of the consumers in order to deliver a superior customer experience and offset competition from the digital players. The global survey was conducted among 7000 consumers in 14 countries, including Thailand, Singapore, India, Philippines, and Indonesia.

Key findings include:

• Digital lifestyle is changing consumer demands, shifting the balance of power to consumers: 64% (60% globally) of respondents valued the ability to control and personalize their devices and services. 63% (54% globally) wanted to receive offerings that were specifically relevant to their needs and interests, while 66% (55% globally) preferred to access self-service using digital platforms to avoid calling customer care. Furthermore, respondents said they would recommend their service provider to friends and family if they could perform a wide range of actions via self-service (65%), specifically, if they could personalize their products and services (61%).

• Digital threats, increasing appetite for digital alternatives: Consumers are becoming accustomed to the experience delivered by the new digital companies, with 80% of respondents preferring to interact with these companies via digital channels. Significantly, 74% (73% globally) expressed a willingness to leave their current service provider if they could receive a comparable level of wireless connectivity from digital companies. 74% respondents said they would switch if network data quality was acceptable, while 49% (39% globally) would do so if customer service and support were better than that from their current service provider.

• Digital immediacy drives new expectations and new forms of engagement: The survey indicates that digital channels are increasingly becoming the preferred choice for Thai consumers to interact with their service providers for fast and immediate service. 57 percent of the respondents prefer to order a new service or product on digital platforms, while 54 percent prefer digital interactions to save time on solving issue, and 49 percent used digital channels to quickly and effectively solve a problem. Moreover, to improve overall customer satisfaction, customers want service providers to engage with them via their channels of choice - chat using a social network messenger or app (46 percent), ability to make a mobile video call to customer service (46 percent); and the ability to interact with a virtual assist (45 percent).

• Service providers must embrace digital to remain relevant: When asked what they expected their service provider to improve, almost half of the respondents said that they wanted to get products and services that were personalized for them, and expected their service provider to become more proactive in letting them know about products and services that met their needs. Respondents also said they wanted more interactivity and control over choices, including the ability to build a customized pricing plan to match their needs (64%) and change plan components at any time (65%) and be able to share their data usage with their family members, whether they are prepaid or postpaid subscribers (62%).

“One of the major benefits of the digital transformation is the ability for service providers to improve customer engagement and achieve a closer relationship with their customers,” said Hakon Jacobsen, vice president, digital services, APAC, Amdocs. “To remain relevant in the eyes of the customers and deliver the types of experiences that a customer demands in the digital age, service providers must quickly make critical adjustments to their digital strategy that aligns with the wider digital shift.”