Telecom contact centers need a customer-first approach

Author: Feyaz Khan

Churn is a constant risk in telecom, with annual rates ranging from 26% to 31%. Customers have little tolerance for long hold times, poor resolution, or confusing service—and plenty of alternatives. While pricing and network reliability still matter, contact center experience often tips the scale when it comes to loyalty.

Many telcos are investing heavily in automation and AI to improve customer service. But too often, these efforts are shaped around internal goals, not what customers need. New tools are added without rethinking the experience itself. The result is often a more fragmented, frustrating service, not a more efficient one.

To break that pattern, customer experience needs to be the focus. Automation should be designed around how people actually use the service, not just around cutting costs or meeting KPIs.

Adopt a customer-back model

Most telcos recognize that customer experience matters, yet many still design their contact centers around internal structures. The problem is, customers don’t care how you’re organized; they just want help that makes sense. If someone is trying to understand a billing charge or why their connection dropped, they shouldn’t have to navigate multiple teams, repeat their information, or switch channels. When systems are built around internal silos instead of customer goals, the experience quickly falls apart.

McKinsey & Co. recommends using a “customer-back” model. This approach starts with the actual customer journey: what people call about, when and why they get frustrated, and what kind of support works best. Contact center operations should be redesigned from the ground up to align with those needs, not simply patched over.

That means anticipating moments of stress, like outages or billing issues, and offering timely, relevant help. It also means giving agents full context when live support is needed, so customers aren’t stuck repeating themselves.

Avoid siloed fixes

Many telcos still treat digital tools as add-ons rather than as parts of a unified experience. A self-service option might reduce call volumes, but if it doesn’t actually resolve the issue, or if customers end up calling anyway, it just adds to their frustration.

According to research by Nvidia, while 57% telcos say they’re exploring Gen AI for service, few are applying it in ways that actually improve outcomes. Technology alone doesn’t fix things; it needs to work with the people and systems surrounding it.

Take intelligent call routing: it can direct at-risk customers to the right agent faster, but only if the system has access to real-time customer profiles and recent activity. Without that context, your investment won’t pay off.

Automation should serve people: customers and agents alike

Used well, automation can make service feel more personal, not less. It can surface relevant details during a call, reduce repetitive tasks, and let agents focus on solving problems. For customers, it can mean getting answers quickly, without waiting in a queue or repeating the same story twice.

But that only works when systems are connected and designed with care. A chatbot that knows someone just paid a bill or called earlier can make interactions simpler. An agent with a clear view of account history and recent issues can be faster and more helpful. That’s how automation becomes a tool for better service, not a barrier.

Leaders like Paulius Milišauskas, VP Customer Operations at Omnisend, frame it this way: the goal isn’t efficiency for its own sake; it’s making the customer experience better. That’s the standard every automation decision should meet.

Let customer insight drive real change

Many telcos collect customer feedback from surveys, call transcripts, chatbot logs, and social media, but that insight often stays on the sidelines. If it’s not shaping how automation is used, it’s a missed opportunity.

Feedback should be treated as input for change, not just a measure of past performance. If data shows customers often call about unclear charges, don’t just update the FAQ; use automation to clarify bills or send proactive messages before they call. If call analysis shows frustration spikes after multiple transfers, adjust workflows so bots hand off to the right agent the first time.

These kinds of fixes require operations and experience teams to work together. When CX insight feeds directly into how automation is built and adjusted, it stops being a disconnected effort and starts solving the issues that actually drive churn.

Get the basics right, then build from there

Even with all the talk around AI, most customers still want the same things: clear answers, fast resolution, and the option to talk to a real person when needed. A consistent experience, whether it starts with a chatbot, an app, or a phone call, is still rare, but it’s what people remember.

Telcos that build around the customer’s perspective, tie systems together, and use automation to reduce friction are more likely to earn trust and loyalty. Those that don’t risk slipping back into old patterns: disjointed service, rising complaints, and customers walking away.