Part I (posted May 26) introduced how the idea of “the network” was transitioning away from sole dependence on telecom providers’ actual, physical networks to instead that of the less tactile “cloud” network wrought by broadband.  The most visible result of this shift has been the decline in wireline voice access lines and minutes.  The other big shift has been in the considerable control the individual customer now wields in how he uses a broadband connection to communicate and interact with the world at large.  But it’s in this shift that the most potential exists for your company to harness new revenues…as long as your company is ready to think creatively.

Like Broadband, the Possibilities for Customer Service Are Just As Limitless

As discussed in Part I, it won’t be enough to simply build out broadband for the sake of broadband, especially should your company encounter competition in its service territory.  So, as you no doubt did during the heyday of long-distance wireline, you’ll want to focus on ensuring the best possible broadband connection in terms of bandwidth, speed, reliability and customer service.  After all, while the technology you provide may have changed, the spirit behind the service will remain the same…and if a customer can’t rely on you for the best connection to make the most of his broadband experience, he will look elsewhere.

But like the limitless possibilities offered by broadband, how your company defines “customer service” can and should be just as wide-reaching.  You may not be able to control how the customer uses his connection, but you certainly can work with him to ensure that he makes the most of it.  Specifically, your company can take the lead in supporting customers’ home networks, some aspects for which you already may provide service, such as computer maintenance and repair.  Reliable, expert maintenance and assurance of interoperability among the various other consumer electronics that increasingly make up a home network, such as high-definition televisions, multi-room sound systems and media servers, could yield competitive advantage over not only your competitors, but also online and brick-and-mortar electronics retail outlets.

Another customer service-related revenue opportunity also lies in security.  This could mean introducing or expanding home monitoring solutions.  Related, and particularly for two-income households, customers may want to know what is going on in their homes if they employ a babysitter or have older children home alone.  It also could mean providing data storage solutions for individual and business customers.  As customers become more dependent on the cloud to access information and entertainment, they will require products and services that provide both protection for important data and peace-of-mind knowing that it is easy to access but won’t be compromised.

As your company explores these potential new revenue sources, however, it also must not ignore its lower-end customers.  For some rural providers, these customers will determine how your company ultimately will fare.  The sooner you can communicate how broadband can function as a fundamental aspect in education, work, or even entertainment, the sooner you will be able to count your current wireline-only customers as broadband subscribers.

A New Way of Doing Business Requires a New Type of Employee

All this will require a new way of thinking of your average customer.  In addition, this means that all your customers will have to be treated individually, and it will require a new imagining of your typical employee.  Instead of focusing on the primary functions your employees perform today with respect to the physical network, consider how flexible they may be in adapting to the cloud and anticipating customers’ needs.

If you are not certain that your workforce, in all facets of the company, will be ready and willing to make this important shift, now is the time to address this.  Begin considering your options for retraining and recruiting, both formally and informally.  The sooner you introduce the essential need for change, the more time your company will have to prepare for when this new approach becomes the industry standard.

Conclusion

The next few years promise to be especially challenging for all telecommunications providers.  This new era of broadband will mean that all your hard work and investment in your company’s network will come to fruition and create value for you.  Your customers are in control of how they use broadband, but you will be able to retain and win them ultimately by relying on the philosophy that has always guided your company: providing the best possible products with the best possible service.