Perception Of Telecom Service Providers

Background

Conducted a comparative study among the top leading telecom service providers in India.

Research Objectives

– To Compare telecommunication providers in terms of services, connectivity , speed, cost, offers and schemes.
– To measure the perception of the services offered by the client among the people of Urban and Rural.
– To highlight the reasons for customers switching behaviour.
– To explore the prominent factors for mobile users while deciding Mobile Service Provider (MSP).
– To study the perception of the client’s brand among subscribers in rural as well as urban India.
– To highlight the best practices of the client’s brand that influences customer behaviour.
– To recommend strategies to the client to increase customer base.

Target Groups Surveyed

– All recruiting done internally.
– Participants between the ages of 18 to 45 years living across rural and urban who use rival brands.
– Participants between the ages 18 to 45 residing across rural and urban who are present or ex-users of the client’s brand.

Methodology & Some Key Take Aways

– Focus Group Discussion (FGDs)

A host of valuable insights based on certain themes and categories were pulled out from the data collected. A few of them are mentioned below –
User Reasons for Buying Two Sims
• Poor network connectivity in the areas where they are residing.
• Unexciting schemes and offers
• To deal with contingency.
• Cost
• Most of the people said that the first SIM is constant, while second SIM is taken for offers and schemes given by service providers.
• Service provider of second Sim is changed from time to time depending on schemes with number portability.

Reasons for Porting or Switching to Another Network
• Network issues
• Gifts , benefits, freebies and schemes
• Cost issues

Sources of Gaining Promotional Information
Urban
• Word of mouth
• Friends and family
• Retail stores
• TV
• Internet
• Social media
• Newspapers
• Cricket Stadium Branding
• Banners during States popular festivals

Rural
• Word of mouth
• Friends and family
• Retail stores
• Posters in STD Booths, Bus Stands
• KIOSK/Canopy on Streets
• TV & Newspaper Advertisements
• Messages sent on mobile

Customer Recommendations (Client Brand Specific)

• Want increased emergency balance amount.
• Balance to be carried forward to next month.
• Should introduce more economical deals like one of their rival brands.
• Less tax deduction on recharge.
• Retailers should also be trained to solve customers’ minor complaints.
• Should offer free data plans like a rival brand.
• Ads should be made more appealing like they were earlier.

Suggestions by Maction

• Promotional calls are seen as a valuable source of information in rural areas.
• Should introduce mini coupons for recharge for both rural and urban areas.
• Should introduce selling schemes for retailers in rural areas specifically.
• Provide customized usage based plans.
• Network connectivity should be improved.
• Brand positioning attributes should be – inexpensive/normal and caring for customers.
• CC executives should be better trained to resolve customer issues and toll free nos.
should be there.