Closing the Care Gap:
The Service
Te l e c o m | C a b l e | U t i l i t y I n d u s t r y F a c t o r
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THE TELECOM/CABLE/UTILITY INDUSTRY FACTOR
Overview_
In this ripe arena of connection, the ability to demonstrate “Care”
is the magic quality that enables the relationships between
brands and consumers to thrive. Skillful communications and
effective use of technology accelerate the process. Because of
its power to reach consumers at the time, in the place and in the
manner they want to connect, mobile devices have emerged as
a powerful resource to help businesses achieve their strategic
objectives at the crossroads of service and marketing.
TO DAY, AS C U STO M E R S E RV I C E , M A R K E T I N G
A N D I N FO R M AT I O N T E C H N O LO GY CO N V E R G E ,
T H E CO N S U M E R E X P E R I E N C E B E CO M E S
T H E FO C A L P O I N T FO R O R G A N I Z AT I O N S ,
C R E AT I N G A B R E E D I N G G R O U N D FO R
E N G AG E M E N T A N D LOYA LT Y.
A global survey of customers and businesses, Identifying the
Care Gap in Business-to-Consumer Engagement; A Study Of
Perceptions, Reality And Consumer Preferences In Mobile
Communications, explores the terrain of “Care.” It documents the
territory between businesses’ perceptions about the level of Care
they think they provide and the reality of consumer experiences.
The results indicate an enormous gap. The report also identifies
consumer preferences for mobile communications and businesses’
mobile messaging practices.
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THE TELECOM/CABLE/UTILITY INDUSTRY FACTOR
THE CARE FACTOR_
When measuring the Care Factor across all industries – how
well consumers think businesses Care on a scale of 1-10 (10 =
Cares a tremendous amount; 1 = does not Care at all) – only 36%
rate companies an 8 or higher. When asked whether telecom/
cable/utility companies Care about them, only 28% of consumers
give this industry sector high scores.
LOW EST I N D USTRY R ATI NG;
R O O M FO R I M P R OV ME N T
Compared to other industries, telecom/cable/utility companies
operate 8 points below the average, placing them behind all
other measured industry sectors. With less than one-third
of consumers feeling the love, there is significant room for
improvement. Some 72% rate the industry 7 or lower, with 44%
of those awarding a rating of 5 or less.
The survey examines consumer perceptions in specific industry
sectors, including telecom/cable/utility, insurance, healthcare,
retail and financial services. Most consumers do business with
some or all of these types of business, and these companies
have growing needs to cultivate enduring brand relationships
with their customers.
TELECOM/UTILITY/CABLE
INDUSTRY RANKING
8 points below cross-industry average
Healthcare
28
Retail
%
Finance
Consumers feel telcom/utility/
cable companies provide great Care
Insurance
36%
Telecom/
Cable/Utility
28%
Cross-industry
average
12 3 4
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THE TELECOM/CABLE/UTILITY INDUSTRY FACTOR
T E X T P L AYS K E Y R O L E
COMMUNICATIONS
PREFERENCES_
When it comes to mobile strategies for telecom/utility/
cable companies, text messages are the preferred mode of
communication for outage notifications, appointment confirmation/
reminders and status updates regarding repair progress or service.
Consumers indicate email is best and text messages are next
to notify them about deals/special promotions, as well as new
products or service. While phone calls are appreciated by some in
certain situations, push notifications, apps, social media and games
have not gained traction as mobile strategies in this industry.
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TELECOM/UTILITY/CABLE: CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION
PR IM A RY PR E FE R E N C E
S E CO N DARY PR E FE R E N C E
PR EFER R ED M E THOD OF COM M U N IC ATION
CON S U M E R
P R E F E R E NCE
53%
S I T UAT ION
O u tage n otific at io n
48%
A ppoin tmen t confirm at io n/
55%
Statu s on u pdate repair
remin der
progress/ ser vice
EMAIL
TEXT
CA L L
PUSH
APP
SOC I A L
GA M E
NON E OF
T H E SE
24%
55%
11%
5%
4%
1%
0%
0%
29%
49%
16%
2%
4%
0%
0%
0%
33%
44%
15%
4%
3%
1%
0%
0%
37%
Deals/spec ial pro m o t io ns
55%
26%
6%
5%
4%
3%
1%
1%
28%
N ew produ c ts or serv ices
59%
21%
8%
4%
5%
2%
0%
0%
57%
41%
65%
10%
17%
13%
5%
3%
15%
Do not want telecom/utility/
cable brands to contact them via
A telecom/utility/cable has
previously contacted me this way
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THE TELECOM/CABLE/UTILITY INDUSTRY FACTOR
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FROM FULL REPORT_
SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS INCLUDE:
The Care Gap: Only 36% consumers report that businesses do a
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great job providing Care, while 73% of businesses think they Care well
for their customers. This discrepancy reveals an eye-opening 37% gap in
By better understanding the disparity between businesses’ and
consumers’ perceptions about Care, as well as how to best connect
with customers through mobile platforms, companies can close the
divide that inhibits the creation of brand loyalty. Because the study
indicates 86% (across all industries) of those with mobile devices
are open to connecting with businesses this way, there are clear
opportunities to engage via mobile. Significant findings from the
full version of Identifying the Care Gap in Business-to-Consumer
Engagement include:
the Care quotient between what businesses think and what consumers
actually feel.
The Mobile Satisfaction Gap: When looking at consumer
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satisfaction with mobile communications, in every category surveyed
(SMS, email, phone calls, apps, push, social media and games)
businesses predict higher scores than consumers allocate. Altogether,
there is a 20% gap between the way businesses and consumers rate
satisfaction with mobile communication methods.
Mobile Preferences: Together, SMS and email dominate consumer
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preference for mobile communication with brands. Phone calls/voicemail
messages fall into third place. Further down the scale: apps, followed by
social media/sponsored posts, push notifications and games.
The Privacy Fallacy: There is a myth in the marketplace that due
For a full copy of the report, visit:
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Identify the Care Gap in Business-to-Consumer
Engagement
to privacy issues, a greater number of consumers do not want to interact
with businesses through their mobile phone. Only 14% of customers say
they don’t want to be contacted on their phones -– primarily because
of privacy concerns – creating clear opportunities to reach 86% of
consumers who possess mobile devices. Yet the survey also found only
58% of companies use mobile as a platform to engage with consumers.
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ABOUT_
METHODOLOGY
MBLOX
Millward Brown Digital surveyed a collective 1,650
mobile phone owners/users over the age of 18 in the
following countries: the United States, the United
Kingdom, and Australia. Within this group, 1,100 adults
(18+) currently have an account or interact with a
company in the retail, healthcare, financial services,
insurance, and/or telecom/cable/utility industry. An
additional 550 adults (25+) represented businesses,
and work in a customer service/marketing role or
higher within the accounting/finance, healthcare,
human services, insurance, retail, telecom/ cable/
utility, and/or tourism/travel industries. The research
was fielded between September 12, 2014, and
September 16, 2014.
Mblox is the largest Application to Person (A2P) mobile
messaging provider in the world, trusted by more
companies to carry their mission-critical traffic than
any other service. As the industry’s most experienced
Tier One SMS aggregator, we provide reliable,
uncompromising connections and create positive brand
experiences that transform numbers into profitable
relationships.
© 2015 Mblox | WWW.MBLOX.COM
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