Smartphones Increasing Call Center Volumes

More than 60 percent of 55 service providers polled by Heavy Reading believe that the volume of smartphone-related support calls has increased 10 percent to more than 25 percent over the last two years. The same percentage believe the average cost of supporting smartphones is anywhere from 10 to 50 percent above that of standard feature phones, due in part to longer call-handling times. Additionally, more than half of the incoming calls are not resolved by the initial call center representative who handles the call - further driving up costs.

Some 75 percent of service providers surveyed are looking to advanced services to increase data usage and realize additional sources of revenue from smartphone customers. But the research shows that over two thirds of customers do not use advanced services, due to lack of awareness or understanding.

Operators Want Higher Smartphone Revenues, But Need to Educate Customers on Using Advanced Features