Device care services provider eBuilder said Sweden-based Telia achieved “staggering improvements” in customer engagement after its Device Insights capability was integrated into the operator’s Min Mobil app.

The app helps Telia contact customers with personalised push notifications about, for instance, battery health and storage limits, along with tips and tricks on how to use their phone based on how “techie” they are.

Push notifications sent to users experiencing device issues typically achieved a 67 per cent click through rate – a three-times improvement compared with the industry average – eBuilder found.

If a device cannot be fixed, Telia will send the user details on how to buy a new phone with a Telia subscription before they get the chance to look elsewhere.

The app was launched six months ago and downloaded 100,000 times since. Some 48 per cent of those with the app use it on a monthly basis.

Gustav Berghog, product and commercial director at Telia (pictured, below) told Mobile World Live the operator hopes the figure will hit 200,000 in another six months.

He explained the service was a “great fit for our strategic agenda” as Telia decided to “take a big bet on services” in a bid to improve its value proposition.

Berghog said the operator is looking to stay relevant, as it is “performing in a very competitive landscape” dealing with OTT players on the one hand and device manufacturers who “claim the customer” on the other.

He said when it comes to convergence, operators are looking at triple and quadplay, but Telia is also looking at convergence from other the angle: bringing together access and services with customer care.

Berghog believes device care will open up new revenue streams for operators as users will no longer go to a non-operator channel such as unlicensed shops.

“We want to reclaim that space,” he said.

He explained Telia is no longer wasting resources contacting customers with information they are not interested in, and data collected about subscribers is also extremely useful when they call customer services for help.

How it works
eBuilder draws data from the device itself and the Device Insights self-care product, along with demographic and market data, which it analyses using machine learning.

The Device Insights system targets users, on behalf of operators, experiencing smartphone issues. It scores each customer according to their need to upgrade and to get help with their device.

Both capabilities result from the analysis of market, community, customer and device data and the application of machine learning algorithms to determine individual user scores based on known device issues, preferences and behaviours.

The company says the results improved the operator’s customer engagement capability by improving the accuracy, efficiency and profitability of its sales, support and marketing processes.

It also increased customer loyalty for Telia.

Leif Bohlin, CEO of eBuilder, said: “The results that Telia has seen should serve as a call to action to every global operator looking to differentiate its offer, reduce churn, grow revenues and sustain healthy profitability.”

He told Mobile World Live his company is in discussions with all major operators in Europe and Russia, and will soon be helping MTS launch a pilot.