Three smart things CSPs are doing to improve their billing experience today

Improving the billing experience (BX) is a key strategy for communications service providers (CSPs) intent on optimizing their customer experience, as well as their operational and commercial performance. But where should they start? Laura Broers shares her top tips for delivering a better BX to customers.

Bills lie at the very heart of the commercial relationship between the customer and the CSP and are the most frequent touchpoint for mid-lifecycle customers. But bills are also the biggest cause of customer frustration and the number 1 driver of contact center traffic. Optimizing and innovating the billing experience (BX) is therefore a key strategy for CSPs to deliver a market-leading customer experience, helping to smooth their customers’ journeys and boost customer satisfaction.

But where should CSPs start?

Each CSP is likely to be starting from a different place, with its own unique mixture of systems and processes, as well as distinct CX and business goals, priorities, and strategies. However, in Calvi’s experience, there arebroad areas that customer-centric CSPs should focus on initially if they wish to improve their CSAT and NPS scores, reduce their churn rates, build trusted relationships leading to upsell and cross-sell opportunities, and minimize the number of frustrated customers calling their contact centers. 

1. Communicate differences and tell them where it hurts

Customers want the right amount of information and no more. They don’t want line after line of itemized charges for services within their bundle. If the charge is what they expected then they are most likely happy with a summary statement. But what if it isn’t?

First bills – if there are prorated charges on the first bill the customer receives, CSPs need to clearly explain why the charge is different this month to the charge they might have expected (the normal monthly charge). The difference could be because the customer has to pay an additional one-off fee (such as a connection fee or a one-off upfront charge for a handset or CPE) or because they need to pay an extra month’s service charge. Whatever the reason, it’s important to clearly explain why the charge is different this month – even if the customer service representative explained the difference at the onboarding stage. Reminding customers why charges are different to those on their normal monthly bill is essential to avoid confused customers calling the contact center for explanations and clarifications. If they have to call the CSP then not only does this raise the cost of support, but it also kicks off the relationship on a sour note. Far better to remind customers why this first bill is different to the others they’ll be getting during the term of their contract. Top tip: one North American CSP that we worked with discovered that confusion surrounding prorated charges was resulting in 1 million calls per year to their contact centers. Reducing this type of confusion not only minimizes a point of friction between the CSP and their customer but enables call center resources to be used to resolve more complex problems or to proactively build a better experience for customers. 

Subsequent monthly bills – if subsequent monthly bills are as expected, customers may be content with a brief summary statement. However, if a bill contains overages or additional out-of-contract charges then they are likely to want to know what these are. CSPs should be proactive in trying to avoid bill shock events - whereby customers are notified of a large charge they were not expecting – by informing them about additional charges before a customer receives their bill, and by helping them manage their account by setting user-definable financial caps. However, when the bill is issued, CSPs should highlight and explain (once again) any additional charges on the bill. This information should never be hidden within the bill, so that customers are forced to search for the unexpected and unexplained charge. Instead, the charge should be highlighted and clearly explained. Other useful information should also be provided, such as how customers can spread payments if they can’t afford to pay the whole amount, as well as ways the customer could avoid future unexpected charges (such as prompting them to set financial caps on their account, or highlighting a more appropriate bundle or service). 

2. Highlight value

Traditionally, bills were a statement of what was owed by the customer to the CSP and a demand for payment. However, taking the time and space to highlight the value being delivered by the CSP to the customer is a very valuable way to reinforce and strengthen the relationship. Everyone loves a bargain and sometimes it’s good to remind customers about the value they’re getting for their monthly charge. This might mean highlighting loyalty discounts, the money saved from having a digital rather than a paper bill, or the savings gained by taking multiple services from the same provider. A good example of this is where some European DSPs – such as 3UK - have extended Roam Like At Home (RLAH) to cover countries outside the EU. A message on customers’ bills is a powerful reminder of the value being delivered by this free service: “You’ve saved EUR100 roaming charges this month because we’re enabling you to Roam Like At Home in the US”. 

3. Communicate consistently and effectively

CSPs should use an omnichannel approach to communicating with their customers – allowing customers to select whichever channel is most convenient for them. They should promote consistency, transparency and ease of use across all channels of communication, both online and offline, and make it easy for customers to switch channels if they need to. For example, terminology needs to be consistent across all customer touchpoints and a homogeneous look-and-feel achieved across channels using consistent branding. We recently reviewed the way a European CSP communicated with their customers. We found there was a serious disconnect between the language used in the contract and that used in the first bill, which was confusing their customers. There was also inconsistency in tone of voice, branding and lay-out between the PDF bill, the online portal and e-mails the company sent. By addressing such issues, CSPs can evolve the experience they provide from a disjointed and confusing series of touchpoints to a frictionless and seamless omnichannel journey.

At Calvi, we’re experts in helping you get the most out of your bills, enabling you to deliver an optimal and innovative BX to your customers. Our design teams can show you how to use visual elements and colors to influence both customer sentiment and reaction. Did you know, for example, that green conveys serenity to customers, while red alerts them to important information? Using expert design you can guide your customers through their bills, ensuring they pay attention where necessary and don’t miss important information. Using color more effectively is just one component of making a bill more usable and your customers happier. If you’d like to find out more contact us!