The Value of Frictionless Customer Support Tools: Why Proactive Communication with Subscribers Helps Instead of Hurts ISPs

When it comes to internet issues, the majority of internet service providers (ISPs) and carriers avoid using public forums to keep subscribers informed. Maybe this is due to fears that doing so will lead to increased churn and be used against them by competitors. Maybe this is because it feels like the easiest course of action. But what if declining to be transparent about issues also means foregoing the chance to provide frictionless service and stand out from other competitors?

Choosing not to enable a self-service option for subscribers means forcing customer support teams to field high volumes of calls from annoyed individuals who have been waiting on hold to understand why their internet isn’t working. This creates a lose-lose strategy where all parties are frustrated and their time is wasted. Many subscribers might decide enough is enough and go shopping for a new provider, making sales teams work twice as hard to fill the gaps they leave.

Support tools that promote transparency help avoid these outcomes. 7Sigma’s Public Outage Map, or POM, has made it easy to provide frictionless customer support. As a public-facing map that displays outages in real time, it acts as a simple way for ISPs’ and carriers’ subscribers to check whether internet issues they’re experiencing are part of a larger problem or are an isolated incident that requires individual troubleshooting. 

With subscribers immediately clued into what problems their service is encountering, they can make more informed decisions about how to proceed, and feel confident that their ISP is on top of things - all without frustrating wait times. 

“We have received positive feedback from subscribers and partners who have used [POM] during weather events to quickly see what might be happening in their area. It has already helped build trust by providing real-time visibility into what we are seeing on our end,” says Brandon Curry, Network Engineer for Mississippi internet provider Ace Fiber.  

POM also boosts efficiency and visibility for ISPs and carriers themselves, speeding up outage response times. 

“The outage map has helped us establish a solid foundation for faster and clearer communication processes. It allows us to communicate status updates more efficiently and gives our team immediate visibility into small or isolated issues as they arise,” says Curry. 

“This has already improved internal coordination by helping us recognize localized problems more quickly,” he adds. 

POM has flexible functionality so adoptees can choose when the map is live, how it’s displayed, and who can see it. This makes it easy to control exactly who has access to information about where outages are occurring that may be considered sensitive, or simply limit what’s shared to the general public to protect your business. 

Transparency doesn’t have to mean exposing your weaknesses - it can actually lead to stronger relationships with subscribers, increased visibility across teams, and a reputation for having the best customer service around. 

Want to learn more about POM? Schedule a call with the 7Sigma team.