Vodafone announced today that it is to launch advanced customer services directly on the handset in order to give Vodafone subscribers customer care and billing information in real-time. The service will not only provide customers with a self-help facility, but also gives Vodafone a further opportunity to provide interactive promotions and tutorials, such as step by step guides on how to use the mobile internet to download music or how to configure the MMS service. SNAPin Software, a mobile self-help software specialist, has agreed to provide the technology that will enable the rollout of this market-leading service.
Following a successful trial with 3,000 customers in the UK and Spain using SNAPin SelfService, Vodafone will start a phased rollout of the service this year. The service will be available on open source handsets, initially including S60, UIQ and Microsoft Windows Mobile, with the intention of extending availability to the majority of handsets offered by Vodafone over time.
The SNAPin service will allow customers to navigate using a visual options menu which they can use to answer questions or resolve their issues directly on the handset. Customers will also have the option to connect to the call centre, bypassing traditional IVR menus, or to receive an automatic response directly on their telephone. The menu can be customised according to specific customer needs.
The trial showed that there is a high level of interest amongst customers, in both emerging and mature markets, to have self-help services on their telephones. In the most mature European markets, the use of this method to quickly resolve problems is highly valued and often considered more convenient for addressing routine queries such as acquiring current billing information. In emerging markets such as India, self-help on the handset empowers customers who are using mobile telephones for the first time and helps them to quickly and easily get the most out of their telephone and the services on offer.
Paul de Laat, Global Director of Vodafone Customer Management, explains: “We have performed exhaustive customer testing for the last three months. The trials have confirmed that self-help services on the handset are well received by customers when they are quick and easy to use, as it gives them control over when and how they deal with us and allows them to make full use of their time. It also makes a positive contribution to their experience of dealing with Vodafone and improves their overall satisfaction with our products and services.”
Paul continues: “Many customers particularly liked the ability to resolve service configuration issues by themselves, such as MMS or mobile internet, for example. Customers were also more willing to try new services after receiving specific interactive promotions. The trial indicated that launching self-help services would help us to increase both customer loyalty and revenue, particularly since customers are more inclined to try new services.”
By launching self-help services it is not our intention to replace current customer care channels, but to give customers more options when deciding when, how and where to obtain information about Vodafone products and services as well as their own personal account information.
For further information, please contact:
Corporate Communications
Vodafone Spain
Tel: 607 133 455
gabinetedeprensa@corp.vodafone.es