• by Aaron Baar , February 8, 2016

As consumers are becoming more comfortable solving technical problems for themselves, their satisfaction with online and automated customer service channels is increasing. 

According to J.D. Power’s latest Wireless Customer Care studies, customers who used only an automated response channel to solve an issue had satisfaction levels that were 31 points (on a 1,000-point scale) higher than similar customers in last year’s evaluation. Similarly, those who used the online channel only saw satisfaction increase by 19 points. On the flip side, consumers who interacted with a representative  (either through walking into a store or asking to speak with a representative after using an automated response system) saw only minor increases (walk-in: +10 points) or no increase (ARS, then CSR: -1) at all.

“What we’re finding is a shift with certain consumer segments about how they’re contacting their carriers, and it’s a shift to self-service,” Kirk Parsons, technology, media & telecom practice leader at J.D. Power, tells Marketing Daily. “And they are having a better experience [in those channels] than when having to deal with a real person.”

Some of those changes may reflect the changing demographics of U.S. society. Overall, 43% of consumers who use the online channel are Millennials (up from 40% from the previous year), as are 49% of those using automated response channels (up 5%). Boomers, on the other hand, registered declines of 1% and 2% for both channels, respectively. Millennial satisfaction is also significantly higher in both channels than it is for Boomers.

“As customer care usage patterns continue to change with Millennials, it’s important for wireless providers to meet or exceed the service expectations of this growing and key demographic segment, which can lead to increased satisfaction and future loyalty,” Parsons says. “They need to be focused more about segmenting customers. Knowing some of the nuances of who your customers are as people, you can use that for a better experience.”

Overall, satisfaction has increased 7 points among full-service customers and 13 points among non-contract customers since last year’s study. T-Mobile ranked the highest among full-service carriers for customer satisfaction, while Virgin Mobile ranked highest among non-contract customers.