The search for agility in customer service has become a priority in the Telecom sector. However, contrary to what one might think, offering quick responses is not enough. The new race is for quality, and this mainly involves putting the customer at the center of decisions.
According to Marcos Guerra, CMO and CRO of Grupo Ótima Digital, true digital support should go beyond providing multiple contact channels. ‘Being available is not the same as serving well. What really matters is ensuring that the customer is well served in the right channel, with the appropriate level of customization. Only then can we efficiently solve problems and build a relationship of trust,’ he affirms.
He argues that real-time service needs to consider the complexity of each request, dividing contact into two contexts: inbound, when the customer approaches the company, and outbound, when the company takes the initiative. Self-service works well for simple demands, such as requesting a duplicate bill. However, more delicate issues, like unrecognized bank transactions, require active and human listening.
Another factor that needs to be considered is the consumer’s behavior outside of business hours. ‘Today, a good part of interactions happen after 8 pm. It’s when people have time to resolve the issues of the day. And this needs to be anticipated in the customer relationship strategy,’ he points out.
Sales Bots and AI: Progress Requires Balance
Conversational commerce, carried out through bots integrated into messaging apps, is also on the rise. According to the Panorama Mobile Time/Opinion Box – Bots Map survey, 72% of developers have already created sales bots, and 63% use artificial intelligence sentiment analysis to assess user satisfaction in real time.
For the executive, this scenario shows the growing maturity of the sector, but it also raises an alert: “Automation should make the journey easier, not more complicated. There are times when the customer wants speed and to solve everything with a click. But there are times when they want to be heard. They want to talk, to vent. And the company that understands this gets ahead”.
The ideal support is one that respects the customer’s moment, offers autonomy when it makes sense, and supports when necessary. The expert points out that real-time support is not just about being available. It is about diagnosing the situation and acting with intelligence and empathy. And this depends not only on technology but also on decision-making. In Guerra’s assessment, the real race is directly linked to the companies’ ability to put themselves in the customer’s shoes.
For the executive, one of the barriers that still hinders the progress of many businesses on the digital journey is the lack of a testing and continuous learning culture. “Many people think they will get the communication flow right on the first try. But if you don’t analyze the data and don’t understand the real customer behavior, you cannot evolve. Growth is not a method, it’s a mindset. Everything improves with repetition and adjustment”.
Guerra argues that every experience should be seen as an experiment, even to break stereotypes: “Who said that the 50+ customer is not digital? You need to better understand your audience”. The customer journey changes and it is imperative to keep up with this change with data, tests, and strategic decisions.
He concludes with a provocation: “How much is your company willing to invest time to really improve service every day? Because that’s the game”.
