The changing needs
The Internet keeps you connected with the online world and with mobile broadband, you can stay connected anywhere and everywhere. While staying connected might be a goal for every consumer, there may be some differences in how important certain aspects of that connection are to different users.
Over the years, the preferences of customers have changed. Earlier customers gave importance to download and upload fees, but the trend is slowly changing as customers give preference to a stable and reliable network over the fees. As mobile technology networks evolve, so do consumer demands and preferences.
Whatphone surveyed the masses to understand what the digital customer of today is looking for in their mobile broadband. The result of the survey will help companies apply changes to their approach, while providing services to the customers.
What do the customers want?
Various factors contribute to deciding the fate of mobile broadband service. With the changes of technology, the requirement of the customers also changes. What used to work a year back may not prove successful in 2019.
Here’s a breakdown of what customers find important.
Reliability and brand name
Today, without the Internet, there seems to be a standstill for the consumer. This is because of the heavy reliance of today’s world on Internet connectivity. Due to the heavy dependency, customers prefer choosing brand name carriers over local Internet service provider. A branded service provider is likely to be more reliable than others because they have a qualified team that’s able to handle unprecedented outages.
Reliability is thus a major factor for consumers, as they obviously prefer carriers they can rely on. According to a survey by Whatphone, customers in 2017 gave importance to speed and reliability over price, but speed over reliability. This trend held steady in the 2018 Whatphone survey in the sense that speed and reliability are more important to consumers than price. However, the 2018 Whatphone survey showed and increase in the reliability preference and a decline in speed, with consumers now ranking reliability over speed. Brand also rose in importance. With the increasing penetration of technology, quality of service wins the customer’s trust.
Bandwidth
With shows, movies, and sports available for online streaming, the data consumption of an average customer is on the rise. If you’re a die-hard fan of Netflix, then consider broadband plans that are offering higher bandwidth. But if your use is limited to browsing and social media, you can opt for cheaper mobile broadband plans here in Australia.
The mathematics here is simple, the more money you spend, the higher the bandwidth you can expect from the service provider. In short, videos guzzle the gigabytes and if you love watching videos, movies or shows online, consider an unlimited broadband plan.
No charges for moving the house
When it comes to mobile broadband, a lot of service providers charge a relocation and cancellation fee. According to a Whatphone survey, 80% of customers in 2018 felt that they should not be charged with any fees for moving their house. The figure rose from 77% in 2017, implying that more and more customers want their broadband service provider to become lenient on the issue.
Loyalty and long-term relationship
Surprisingly, according to a survey by Whatphone, 70% of customers are in favor of retaining their broadband service provider if they shift or move their house. The number is huge and is a sign for Internet service providers to provide great customer experiences that encourage this customer retention trend. It’s great news given the fact that customers today don’t think twice before changing their service providers. A loyal customer base is an asset because, in the long-term, such customers can become brand advocates and help in attracting new clients by leaving positive feedback and through word of mouth.
Final words
The trends of 2018 suggest that customers are more likely to give importance to reliability and consistency. Customers also give great importance to speed and price, although both saw decreases in 2018 when compared to 2017. These changes in needs come with changes in technology. Perhaps customers have come to see fast speeds as a given; as something a carrier must obviously provide in order to survive a competitive market. Perhaps customers believe that what is less obvious is reliability, and so feel the need to voice their demands on the topic.
Despite consumer suggestions pointing out room for improvement, customers want to remain loyal to their service provider. However, they believe such loyalty shouldn’t come at the cost of paying unnecessary charges in the name of re-installation, relocation or cancellation charges. The digital customer is evolving, ranking priorities in a trendy way that providers should take not of and implement future strategies on.