The pursuit of agility in customer service has become a priority in the Telecom sector. But, contrary to what one might think, offering quick answers 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 must go beyond providing multiple contact channels. "Being available is not the same as providing good service. What really matters is ensuring that the customer is well served on the right channel, with the appropriate level of personalization. Only then can we resolve issues efficiently and build a relationship of trust," he states.
He argues that real-time service needs to consider the complexity of each request, dividing contact into two contexts: inbound, when the customer contacts the company, and outbound, when the company takes the initiative. Self-service works well for simple requests, such as a second copy of a boleto. Meanwhile, more delicate issues, such as unrecognized banking transactions, require active and human listening.
Another factor that needs to be considered is consumer behavior outside of business hours. "Today, most interactions happen after 8 pm. That's when people have time to resolve the day's pending issues. And this needs to be included 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 – Bot Map survey, 72% of developers have already created sales bots and 63% use sentiment analysis with artificial intelligence to assess user satisfaction in real time.
For the executive, this scenario shows the growing maturity of the sector, but also raises a warning: "Automation should facilitate the journey, not complicate it. Sometimes the customer wants speed and to resolve everything with a click. But other times they want to be heard. They want to talk, they want to vent. And the company that understands this gets ahead."
The ideal support is the one that respects the client's timing, offers autonomy when appropriate, and provides comfort when needed. The specialist points out that real-time service is not just about being available. It's about knowing how to diagnose the situation and act with intelligence and empathy. And this does not depend only on technology, but also on decision. In Guerra's assessment, the true race is directly linked to companies' ability to put themselves in the customer's shoes.
For the executive, one of the barriers that still hinder the progress of many businesses in the digital journey is the lack of a culture of testing and continuous learning. 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 customer's real behavior, there's no way to improve. Growth is not a method, it's a mindset. Everything improves with repetition and adjustment.
Guerra argues that each experience should be seen as an experiment, including to break stereotypes: "Who said that the 50+ customer isn't digital? It's necessary to better understand your audience." The customer journey changes, and it is essential to keep up with this change through data, tests, and strategic decisions.
And it ends with a provocation: "How much is your company willing to invest time to truly improve service every day? Because that's the game."
