Consumers Embrace Self-Service on Mobile Handsets

­A survey commissioned by customer care provider, Nuance Communications finds that over half the respondents (59%) said that mobile handset self-service would be their preferred channel of self-service, compared with only 34 per cent that would choose to deal with a customer service agent and 1 per cent that favour web self-service.

The study, carried out by marketing insight consultancy Added Value in Spain, found that users felt more positive about the brand providing the mobile care service.

Overall, 62 per cent preferred the Nuance Mobile Care application, specifically in terms of ease of use (70%), ease of understanding (64per cent), speed (55%) and likelihood to use (61%). It was also found to be easier to use for performing key tasks such as topping-up prepay credit, whereas the alternative software required ongoing assistance for respondents.

"With increasingly time-pressured lifestyles, solving service issues quickly and efficiently is of utmost importance to mobile phone consumers. In the past, this has been the preserve of speaking to a customer service agent, but this research shows that Nuance Mobile Care is a credible and preferred alternative" says Tom Wells, Associate Director at Added Value.

Nuance Mobile Care helps customers to automatically resolve common problems directly on their mobile handsets, reducing overall calls to the live call centre and allowing the agents to help customers with issues that deserve their attention. Customers are able to make account enquiries and pay bills directly on their handset. Customers simply dial customer care and instead of placing a call, the application opens automatically on the phone display.

The survey follows large-scale commercial rollouts of Nuance Mobile Care handheld self-service software with Vodafone Group, T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS.

Posted to the site on 27th September 2009