Amdocs Survey Reveals that Consumers and Businesses Value Customer Experience Over Cost of Services in Dealing with Telecommunications Companies15 February 2006
Amdocs (NYSE: DOX), the leading provider of software and services to enable integrated customer management and the intentional customer experience(TM), today released a global Customer Experience Survey, which revealed that both consumers and businesses say that they are more likely to stick with a telecom provider based on the quality of the customer experience than on the cost of its service. The survey results highlight the frustration many consumers feel about the customer service they receive, particularly when trying to reach a support person.
The survey queried more than 1,000 consumers and 400 businesses in the United States and United Kingdom about their interactions with their telecom providers. The announcement was made at the 2006 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain (Amdocs' Stand No. B6, Hall 8).
Consumers have more complaints than businesses about how their telecom companies treat them. The cost of services ranked lower on the list of priorities for both business and consumer respondents.
"The Amdocs Customer Experience Survey proves that keeping customers happy isn't just about reducing prices," said Michael Matthews, chief marketing officer of Amdocs. "By adopting an integrated customer management strategy, providers can get a full picture of their customer interactions. From there, they can identify customer needs and provide a differentiated and intentional customer experience. That's the right strategy regardless of whether the customers are consumers or large corporations."
Consumers Want Control and Customer Service
Consumers consistently register their frustration at not being able to get a customer service person on the phone quickly when they have a problem or a question. To give a sense of consumer exasperation, 57 percent of consumer respondents in the U.S. and U.K. said they would even pay an extra five dollars a month if it meant that they would not be put on hold and not have to talk to multiple service representatives when they contact the call center.
Self service also continues to grow in importance. More than three out of four consumer respondents asked for online access to their account to handle administrative tasks such as reviewing and paying bills.
I Want My New Services
Businesses and consumers both want their telecom providers to branch into whole new sets of services. More than half of businesses -- 56 percent -- said they wanted their telecom provider to offer systems integration and implementation services. However, they also want those new services to be cost-effective. When asked what drives their decision to buy new services, the majority (58 percent) of businesses surveyed in the U.S. and the U.K. said that cost was the most important factor.
"Companies want their communications service provider to help them run their businesses and maintain their infrastructures," said Matthews. "They won't be misled by flashy and expensive offerings that don't fit within their business model and budget."
Consumers on the other hand want more digitally-based services. Among those surveyed, 30 percent of U.S. consumer respondents said they want their carrier to offer new, digitally-based services, such as ring-tones, music downloads, and video games. In the U.K., the wish list was different: text messaging and chat programs topped the list followed by video such as TV shows and music videos. Perhaps reflecting its novelty, the least requested new service was original cell phone TV programming such as mini sitcoms.
These services, made possible by IP networks, are shaping up to be a critical competitive element. Services are so important to consumers that 53 percent would consider switching to a new provider to get them, providing of course that they are considered to be attractively priced.
VoIP and Self-Service -- Businesses Want More and Know They Have Options
Businesses are fully aware of their choices in selecting a provider. For example, more than half of businesses surveyed in the U.S. do not currently have an Internet telephony service (voice over Internet protocol or VoIP), but would consider sourcing it from a non-traditional provider like an Internet-based company.
Like consumers, businesses also want to increase their level of control. Only 45 percent of the businesses in the U.S. currently use self-service capabilities from their telecom provider, but 70 percent wish they had more self-service options.
Bright Spots in an Increasingly Competitive Space
As the telecom industry becomes more competitive, there is some good news for established telecom companies. Just about 50 percent of consumers in the U.S. said they would be happy to buy new services from their current provider. An even larger number -- 64 percent -- in the U.S. and the U.K. were not even aware that they could get phone service from new market entrants like cable companies and Internet phone providers. This may prove to be a window of opportunity for established telecom companies to solidify and grow share of wallet as they fend off new market entrants.
The Amdocs Customer Experience Survey was conducted by an independent third party survey company in the United States and United Kingdom. The full results of the survey can be found at http://www.amdocs.com.
About Amdocs
Amdocs combines innovative software and services with deep business knowledge to accelerate implementation of integrated customer management by the world's leading service providers. By delivering a comprehensive portfolio of software and services that spans the customer lifecycle, Amdocs enables service companies to deliver an intentional customer experience(TM), which results in stronger, more profitable customer relationships. Service providers also benefit from a rapid return on investment, lower total cost of ownership and improved operational efficiencies. A global company with revenue of $2.039 billion in fiscal 2005, Amdocs employs about 12,000 IT professionals and serves customers in more than 50 countries around the world. For more information, visit Amdocs at http://www.amdocs.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about Amdocs' growth and business results in future quarters. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be obtained or that any deviations will not be material. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, the effects of general economic conditions, Amdocs' ability to grow in the business segments it serves, adverse effects of market competition, rapid technological shifts that may render the Company's products and services obsolete, potential loss of a major customer, our ability to develop long-term relationships with our customers, and risks associated with operating businesses in the international market. Amdocs may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, however the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These and other risks are discussed at greater length in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, filed on December 28, 2005.
Media Contacts:
Amdocs
Runi Krishnamurty
Access Communications for Amdocs
Tel: +1-917-522-3507
E-Mail: rkrishnamurty@accesspr.com
Chuma Goodwin
Porter Novelli UK for Amdocs
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7853 2335
E-Mail: Chuma.Goodwin@porternovelli.co.uk
Source: prnewswire
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