Most consumers just do not trust their mobile provider

A new study reveals that less than half  (45%) of consumers in the UK and the US trust their mobile provider while only four in ten trust their mobile provider’s customer communications

The research, conducted by the ECSP Europe Business School in partnership with Pitney Bowes Business Insight, demonstrates how critical trust is for service-rich telecommunications firms that have multiple cross-channel customer contacts.

According to the study UK consumers feel that front-line employees and marketing communications are ranked as the most important factors for establishing good trust (26 and 23 percent respectively). In the US, management policies and front-line employees are the top influencing factors on trust (25 and 21 percent respectively).

The mobile industry was judged less favourably than both the banking and insurance industries at establishing trust through interactive channels, self-service technologies, management policies and overall customer satisfaction.
 
• Just 31 percent of mobile customers feel that, if they shared their problems with a service provider, they would receive a caring response.
• Only 40 percent of customers trust their mobile provider’s communications.
• A mere 24 percent of respondents believe that their mobile network operator is doing a good job at implementing management policies and practices that govern customer interactions.
• Additionally, 42 percent of customers stated that they are satisfied with the treatment, relationship and services they receive from their mobile network operators.
 
“Today, competition in the telecommunications industry is fierce, making it one of the most challenging markets in the world for ensuring customer satisfaction and building relationships,” said David Newberry, Chief Marketing Officer of Pitney Bowes Business Insight.
“When it comes to their mobile network providers, customers’ satisfaction with their previous experience has a lot more influence on overall trust than in other industries. The challenge, as illustrated in this study, is to align customer communications management so that mobile companies can more easily address these crucial customer concerns.”

 The consumers surveyed recommended several ways for mobile companies to strengthen trust-building activities, such as improving communications (quality and clarity), increasing transparency, and providing advance information for better deals. In addition, consumers claim that they look for companies that provide high-quality customer care, ensure a sense of being ‘looked after,’ and demonstrate a high level of competency and conduct from employees.

 For the study ECSP interviewed 20 senior marketers in order to gain a deeper understanding of the importance that organisations place on customer trust, the benefits they’re looking for, the way they measure trust and the management policies they put in place to influence it. In addition, ECSP issued an online consumer survey of 1,000 UK and 1,000 US residents.