Customer Care

Phone companies doing a services bait-and-switch?

Doug Mohney — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:55:54 -0500

Are service providers using low-end poor-quality services as a way to upsell customers on newer (i.e. more expensive, better ARPU) offerings? Over at Telephony, they're asking the question.

AT&T, Verizon, and Qwest are all cited for different sins along the same theme. AT&T is allegedly downgrading 2G signal strength to beef up its 3G network, leaving some customers either to be stuck with lower quality 2G service or upgrading to a 3G iPhone. Verizon is supposedly neglecting its DSL network as it puts in FiOS. And Qwest is accused of using interference with its fiber-to-the-node network as a "tool" to urge DSL customers to switch to FTTN.

In Little Rock, Ark., one customer trying to move his landline and DSL service to a new physical address encountered delays in his DSL installation. After three months, instead of getting DSL, he has received a suggestion to upgrade to U-verse VoIP.

Having personally suffered through some of Verizon's more, ahem, challenging customer "service" when moving to a house within the same zip code as the previous one, this reporter isn't sure if he would choose intentional malice over poor practices. Certainly, consumer customer service since the "bad old days" of monopoly has suffered.

For more:
- Telephony blogs on upgrading or else.

Embarq puts live people (gasp!) back answering customer calls

Doug Mohney — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:29:55 -0500

First, the U.S. average price of gas goes below $2.00 a gallon. Now, the fourth-largest phone company is running a trial to put live human beings in the loop to answer customer calls. What will they think of next?

Embarq announced the move to try out live customer service reps on Monday, with 15 representatives based in North Carolina picking up the phone for customers who call Embarq customer service at 1-800-EMBARQ.

Embarq launched the program Nov. 3 in response to complaints from customers who are sick of IVR phone hell. The trial will continue for three months, and if it proves successful with customers, the company will likely continue using real people to answer customer calls. Embarq has another 10 reps trained and available if the number of customer calls increases.

IVR is not gone, however. The company is keeping three numbers that put callers through an automated menu of options, including the main customer service number that appears on customer bills.

For more:
- Charlotte News-Observer tells the remarkable story.

Conn. whacks AT&T again

Doug Mohney — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:45:20 -0400

Connecticut state officials publicly slapped AT&T again, this time for planning to relocate 60 customer service jobs to Michigan.

Both the state and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) are not happy about the closure of a customer service office in Meriden. The Conn. Attorney General held a press conference and the Governor sent a letter to state regulators ordering them to review the move and fast-track hearings on a pending investigation. State officials say AT&T has eliminated nearly 1,000 customer service related jobs in recent years.

This is the latest skirmish in a running feud between state officials and AT&T over customer service and jobs. Last month, the AG jumped into a proceeding at the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) intended to enforce repair service standards and order AT&T to improve customer service. AT&T has been accused of answering its phones four times slower than other phone companies and its call abandonment rate - where people just give up after being on hold - is also four times higher. Additionally, AT&T has not met DPUC requirements that it fix 90 percent of out-of-service phones within 24 hours, and it has failed to for eight years.

For more:
- Hartford Courant coverage of CT AT&T scolding
- Media Newswire carries the release by the Conn. AG
- Local TV coverage of more AT&T layoffs in CT

Bell Canada upgrades customer service

Pete Wylie — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:48:47 -0400

Bell Canada rolled out a new customer service initiative Wednesday, promising faster response time to service issues in an effort to stem the loss of both landline and internet customers. Customers of the telco have suffered through extended wait-times for years, waiting an average of 39 hours last year, according to reports.

The new initiative promises same-day service to customers who contact the telco before 11 a.m., and next-day service for later service inquiries. Customers wanting next-day installation of TV, internet or cable can pay a premium of $60 for that service.

Bell Canada reported that high-speed internet repair times were a priority, as more and more customers depend on the service for both business and personal aspects.

Bell Canada CEO George Cope, who took the reins in July, cut thousands of middle management positions to open budget space for the expanded technical service and improved call center operation, part of his 100-day plan to improve the company's lagging brand.

For more:
- The Globe and Mail has the skinny on BC's shiny new look. Article.

Convergys to acquire Intervoice in $335 million deal

Dan O'Shea — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:04:53 -0400

Customer care and billing vendor Convergys announced it will acquire Intervoice, an enabler of interactive voice response systems, for about $335 million. The deal could be seen as an extension of some of the deal-making occurring in the general back office software market, where companies like Oracle, Amdocs, Alcatel-Lucent and others have been snapping up specialty and fringe vendors in an effort to strengthen operational support system and service delivery platform offerings.

Outsourced customer care operations have been a particular strength of Convergys, and the addition of Intervoice technology seems likes and obvious adjacent step for the company to take. Convergys also has a customer care and billing partnership with Alcatel-Lucent.

For more:
- see this Associated Press item at The Houston Chronicle

Related articles:
India's BSNL hired Convergys for a billing overhaul. Convergys report
Convergys takes a hit. Convergys report