Nearly 50 per cent of South Africans would change mobile operator if they could, according to new research from software provider Comptel.
The report found 49 per cent of users would change networks due to better offers elsewhere.
Comptel business development manager Andrew Gavin said the survey also showed more than half of South Africans want their mobile operator to communicate with them at every touch point.
“In the rush to deploy new technologies and networks, CSPs (operators) can sometimes overlook the real core of their success: customer relationships,” said Andrew Gavin. “Comptel has found that personal interaction is exactly what customers want.
“The need for a personal touch will become critical as more CSPs deploy LTE networks across South Africa, considering there’s convincing evidence that mass-marketing LTE services isn’t the most effective way to generate revenue.”
More than three quarters of consumers said mobile operators needed to proactively recognise and acknowledge poor service quality, offering apologies or compensation.
The survey also found 58 per cent of South Africans would be willing to pay for a temporary upgrade for bandwidth if given the option.
Executed by independent research firm Vanson Bourne, the survey polled 6,000 consumers from 12 countries across EMEA, Latin America and Asia Pacific.
“Of course, with more than 29 million South Africans using mobile devices, figuring out individual customers’ unique behaviours and circumstances can be difficult, to put it mildly… but it’s worth it,” said Gavin.
