Paywizard: Pay-TV operators need better CRM strategies
August 30, 2016
To stem customer attrition pay-TV operators today have to ensure they move beyond simply providing a good service and collecting payment, and instead use insights gleaned from subscriber data to pre-empt customer defections and even win back those who have already left, according to a research-based whitepaper from Paywizard, the specialist in subscription, billing and CRM for pay-TV.
In the paper, entitled Seize the Moments: Easy Exit, Welcome Return, Paywizard demonstrates that increasingly pay-TV customers are demanding a better experience at each of the key ‘Decision Moments’ along their subscriber journey – including the ‘Leave’ and ‘Win Back’ phases of the customer lifecycle.
The report highlights the need for pay-TV providers to dig deep into their subscriber data to establish the type of proactive customer relationship management (CRM) that prevents wavering clients from leaving and arms operators with the business knowledge necessary to woo back those who insist on terminating service.
The Paywizard study, which compiled results from a series of focus groups conducted in partnership with research firm Decipher, reveals that if pay-TV providers effectively manage consumers in danger of leaving – or those that have already left – the relationships remain salvageable.
Feedback from participants in the study demonstrated clearly that actions aimed at preventing customer dissatisfaction, maintaining loyalty and treating subscribers as valued clients went a long way toward stemming churn; and providing fair, straightforward and amicable leaving processes often encouraged those who did leave to eventually return. Examples that focus group participants noted included:
· Ensuring that cancellation is painless and leaves the door open to return: “It was so easy that I went back. If it had been a nightmare, I wouldn’t have returned.”
· Giving unexpected bonuses to build the loyalty of customers that analysis indicates might feel undervalued: “If you feel appreciated by the service, you’re more likely to stay”
· Pre-empting any complaints and grievances due to service problems, which could start a subscriber down the road to cancellation: “I had a tech issue and my provider went ahead and credited me for that month before I even asked. That was great for winning my trust.”
Bhavesh Vaghela, Paywizard’s Chief Marketing Officer, notes that operators have to be proactive when it comes to the last two Decision Moments. “Effectively managing the ‘Leave’ and ‘Win Back’ moments is all about identifying and assessing those subscribers who essentially have a foot out the door or have already gone through it, understanding their circumstances, and then dealing with them in a way that maintains the customer relationship and goodwill.
“That means putting in place solutions that enable operators to tap into all available subscriber data so they can take informed actions. This can involve determining why a customer is leaving and making them a tailored offer that will keep them – which could be a lateral change in package or upgrade that better meets their needs, or even a downgrade that suits their current circumstances. The two weeks before a cancellation takes effect can be crucial, as there is still time for operators to turn the situation around.”
He adds: “You can’t stop everyone from leaving, so if a subscriber cannot be swayed to stay, it is critical to make sure they leave on good terms by enabling an easy exit. After that, insight into their previous behaviour as a customer can provide the background you need to tempt them back with a personalised offer that is an improved fit for them and/or better value than what they had before.”