I began my collaboration on this blog a few months ago, launching it with an article focused on user satisfaction with Happy Customers, Happy Business: The Recipe for Success, a recurring theme to which I will frequently return. I believe this aspect is fundamental and undoubtedly the main differentiator for a Mobile Virtual Operator. In my view, the unique value to differentiate that these operators can offer must be based on the perceived quality of the user experience and on the closeness of the interaction—two elements that a large-scale operator generally cannot provide in the same way.
Other colleagues have addressed various perspectives on customer satisfaction in this blog. For instance, Ajna Jalim tackled the topic of digital onboarding of users in her article, and in the near future, I would like to delve deeper into this subject, exploring the technologies and alternatives that optimise user onboarding and experience, as it is a current reality. However, we must also acknowledge other articles, such as the one by Mark Prudhoe, which explores how artificial intelligence can transform the customer experience in Unleashing the Power of AI: Transforming Customer Experiences for MVNOs.
One article of particular relevance is Games of Phones by Rafa Plantier, which examines the impact on telecommunications when hundreds of thousands of consumers switch networks to obtain the latest iPhone.
The importance of this issue is evident: the user experience largely depends on the device they are using. From the perspective of a mobile operator—and even more so for a Mobile Virtual Operator —it is essential to know the device each user is utilising, understand how it is configured, and be aware of the capabilities that can be offered to them. This knowledge enables the optimisation of service and the adaptation of functionalities to enhance customer satisfaction and network performance.
Regardless of whether the support received by the user comes from a human agent or from artificial intelligence, having a relevant set of information at the moment of opening a ticket, making an inquiry, or requesting a change of service is fundamental. This becomes even more critical when the user needs an expansion of services, reports a connectivity issue, or faces difficulties in a roaming environment or while using technologies such as VoLTE. Access to this data allows us to demonstrate to the user that we understand their particular situation and are committed to addressing their needs in a personalised and efficient manner.
Access to basic KPIs in real time provides us with a detailed view of the user’s situation:
- Device data: Information about the device, including brand, model, and operating system version, even having history let us understand a bit better our customer’s journey
- Connection data: Information regarding the network, including the service provider (not so evident in a roaming situation) and even the cell tower ID help us also to situate the call to customer care in its right environment.
- Device configuration data: Network settings, battery configurations, and SIM settings, which provide useful diagnostic information.
- Location data: Information about the device’s location, including latitude, longitude, country, and region.
- Quality data: Passive tests (such as signal strength) and active tests (such as download speed), collected from both the device and the network connection enhances our knowledge of perceived service.
From a regulatory and data protection perspective, this situation does not differ significantly from the perspective of an agent when a user calls; the agent can view the contracted services, issued and paid invoices, or personal data, including sensitive information such as banking details.
On the other hand, users who utilise many of the free tools provided by major companies (Google, Amazon, Meta, etc.) have already authorised the collection of much of that data, often without a clear awareness of this fact.
We must not confuse these capabilities with Quality of Service (QoS) or Quality of Experience (QoE) solutions, which provide the MVNO with insights into the quality of service and user experience on their network (and thus on that of the host).
It is not common to find these functionalities, not only in MVNOs but also among large operators. Understanding the user’s environment without needing to request on the call a vast amount of data—from the device they use to their current location—makes a significant difference.