LIVE FROM CEM IN TELECOMS GLOBAL SUMMIT, LONDON: Puneet Dhar, VP of customer care solutions at Nokia (pictured), outlined three main changes impacting customer service in the technology industry, and emphasised personalised experiences remain key.

Dhar noted 5G networks are a factor which will play a significant role in changing customer care, offering “the potential to change the way we work, communicate, play and live”.

“Advances in DSL and fibre access have provided the ability to influence new kind of services, whether it’s AR, [or] VR. And that is changing consumer tech, whether it is new communication devices, wearables and others. They are changing the way users interact and connect. They create new challenges. Engaging with them requires that they are secure, easy to use and are supported”.

Dhar explained changes in customer expectations are bigger than upcoming technological changes: “Today we’re not selling products, we sell people experiences, we sell services”, he said, adding shifts in technology have “fundamentally impacted customer experience more than any of the technologies so far”.

“Today when you sell something, it’s about creating a personal connection, a personal relationship, trust and making sure that you create a space where the user feels valuable and is very satisfied. That’s what the customer expects now”.

He added outstanding customer service had a great impact on margins.

Killer service
Robert Hackl, SVP of business transformation and analytics at Sprint, said there was a “killer feature in every business” and noted finding this would “change everything”.

Kiu Ki Tung, principal CEM/SOC consultant for global services at Huawei, highlighted the importance of measuring customer experience, noting this would drive improvements with a specific benefit when delivering “new, complicated services in the 5G era”.