The massive loss of mobile subscribers reflects issues with service quality and billing transparency
In recent years, China Mobile has faced an unprecedented crisis of subscriber churn. According to incomplete statistics, nearly 12 million mobile users will choose number porting in 2023 and transfer their numbers to other operators. This phenomenon has attracted great attention in the industry and has also made the alarm bells of mobile companies ring.
Since the number porting system was fully implemented in China in 2019, users can freely choose to join other operators while retaining their original mobile phone numbers. This move has undoubtedly increased competition among operators, forcing them to improve service quality and optimize tariff schemes in order to retain old users and attract new ones. Mobile companies don't seem to realize the severity of this, leading to a large number of users who are frustrated with their services and choose to leave.
The main reason for this is the long-standing problem of service quality and billing transparency of mobile companies. On the one hand, the quality of mobile network coverage and network speed experience have lagged behind other operators for a long time, especially in remote areas and indoor coverage. On the other hand, mobile's tariff package settings are complex and opaque, and there are many hidden charges, making users feel deceived.
There are obstacles in the carrying process, which brings great inconvenience to users
What's even more distressing is that in the process of user number porting, mobile companies have also set up many obstacles, which has caused great inconvenience to users. For example, for users who have already signed a contract, mobile companies often refuse to carry users on the grounds that "the contract has not expired"; For users who have handled the pretty number business, the mobile company requires them to unbind the pretty number first, and some even need to pay high liquidated damages.
Mobile companies also often require users to unbind these services before they can carry them on the grounds that they have handled broadband or other supplementary card services. Some users also reported that they were asked to return the previous gifts when carrying them, otherwise they would not be processed. Mobile companies are putting obstacles at every turn in the process to try to retain users.
In the face of strong user dissatisfaction, the mobile company's explanations appeared weak and perfunctory. They claim that the sale of the beautiful number business often sets a minimum consumption threshold or contract period, and the user needs to fulfill the relevant agreement; The purpose of unbinding the supplementary card business is to avoid disputes after the transfer. Instead of convincing users, these explanations have only exacerbated their distrust of mobile companies.
The crisis of user trust touches the pain points of users, and they do not correct their sins in time
The long-standing problems of mobile companies in terms of service quality and billing transparency, coupled with the obstacles set up in the process of number porting, have completely touched the pain points of users, causing them to lose trust and confidence in mobile companies. Netizens have said that this is the result of the mobile company's "self-inflicted sin".
As early as a few years ago, many experts, scholars and industry insiders warned mobile companies that if they did not correct these problems in time, they would lose a large number of users. Mobile companies don't seem to really take this seriously, and they continue to go their own way, which ultimately leads to today's crisis of confidence.
If mobile companies continue to do their own thing, and refuse to reform, subscriber churn will only get worse. At that time, mobile companies will completely lose the trust of users and lose their dominant position in the fierce market competition, which will be an irreparable tragedy.
Reform suggestions: optimize service quality, improve billing transparency, and simplify the portability process
How can mobile companies rebuild user trust and reverse this reactive situation? In the author's opinion, the key lies in the following aspects:
Mobile companies must ensure that they optimize the quality of coverage and the experience of speed, especially in remote areas and indoors. It is also necessary to strengthen customer service, truly be guided by user needs, and provide intimate and thoughtful services.
Mobile companies must thoroughly sort out their tariff plans, eliminate any hidden charges, and make billing methods clear and transparent. For some special businesses, users should also be clearly informed of the relevant terms, rather than supplementing them afterwards. Only in this way can you truly win the trust of users.
Mobile companies must dramatically simplify the process of number porting, removing all unreasonable barriers and conditions to make it easier for users. For users who have signed contracts, they shall be allowed to freely choose whether to continue to perform the contract; For special services such as pretty accounts, there should be no more restrictions on them, but the autonomy of users should be respected.
Mobile companies also need to increase the training of employees, so that frontline employees can truly establish the concept of serving users, rather than blindly seeking benefits for the company. Only when the service awareness and service level of employees are fundamentally improved, can mobile companies truly win back the trust of users.