Customer Service Wins the Broadband Competition
Cable service providers aren't exactly renowned for their excellence in customer service. Yet as broadband continues to grow and the traditional lines between phone, TV, and Internet keep fading, customer service stands out as a key differentiator. A recent BusinessWeek article elaborates the way Cox Communications has come out on top with their customer commitment:
In recent surveys conducted by J.D. Power & Associates Inc. [...] Atlanta-based Cox Communications outscores traditional phone providers such as AT&T, Verizon Communications, and Sprint Nextel. On a variety of metrics, from network performance and reliability to billing and cost, customers in several regions describe Cox as their preferred provider.For everyone who's spent fruitless hours dealing with their phone or cable service provider (without naming names), it's nice to know that at least one company's getting it right. And there's always the hope that competitive pressure will boost industry-wide service levels, for the benefit of all.
Having a cable company lead the charge on phone service is doubly surprising given the poor reputation that many have among their own customers. According to Power, cable outfits rank 18th out of 19 industries for service. "Cox customers don't actually hate them, and that is saying something for a cable company," says Craig E. Moffett, a senior cable analyst at Bernstein.
What is Cox's advantage? It uses one customer-care provider, with U.S.-based centers. Rather than pushing agents to hurry customers off the phone and causing multiple call-backs, Cox strives to handle issues in a single call and grades reps on how well they eliminate problems. To avoid confusion, field technicians tap into the same system used by call-center reps. Cox has even started a "geek squad" to help customers with tech issues, whether they involve its gear or not.