InsightFuel Thoughts on the market from the Amdocs Market Insight & Strategy Team

In the not-so-distant past, service providers used to have full control over the customer experience lifecycle. But now, over-the-top providers, niche app vendors, general retailers and others have all moved in to enhance the customer experience lifecycle.

Today’s consumers benefit from a wide selection of offers and possibilities and are more empowered than ever. They have the freedom to design their own personalized customer experience path.

For example, when buying a mobile phone, instead of just going to their service provider’s local outlet to evaluate phones and plans, today’s customer might first go online to compare phones, check out professional reviews, ask their social network for advice, and then, when they’ve made up their mind, go to a retail store that sells more than just phones to make their purchase.

And not only has the experience path changed, the lifecycle sequence is no longer linear – a customer might start playing a game or use an app for free, and then receive a promotion that will lead to a purchase.

So have service providers lost their hold over the customer experience?  Not necessarily. Look out for my next blog to see how service providers can rise to the challenge.