In 2026, self-service is redefining telco customer experience
5 min read
According to PwC’s 2025 Customer Experience Survey, more than half (52%) of consumers have abandoned a brand due to a bad experience with its products or services, and nearly a third (29%) have done so because of poor customer experience, either online or in-person.
These numbers are especially relevant to South Africa’s telecommunications industry, which scores very poorly in terms of customer satisfaction and perception. In fact, the telecoms industry has some of the lowest customer sentiment scores when compared with other major industries.
The findings of another PwC report – South African Telecommunications Sentiment Index – show that telecoms customers frequently encounter obstacles when trying to cancel services, query bills or activate SIMs. Traditional support channels, like call centres and physical branches, often fail to meet customer expectations, and long wait times and inconsistent service are driving customers to churn.
And when they go online, digital experiences are also leaving much to be desired, adding to customer frustration and further driving cancellation intent.
So what can telcos do?
For too long, telcos have treated customer experience as a technology problem. Deploying a new CRM platform, chatbot or mobile app on top of a fragmented and slow customer journey. But when you try to layer digital tools over legacy processes that were never designed for speed or simplicity, the results are typically disappointing. Research shows that the harder customers have to work, the more likely those customers are to leave.
Today, consumers are less focused on price and quality and more focused on how businesses deliver value on top of the basics. For modern telcos, one of the most effective ways to provide this value is by giving customers more control.
Digital self-service offerings are digital platforms that empower customers to manage their accounts, services and issues independently, without needing to contact call centres or visit stores. Modern consumers benefit from being able to access account information and troubleshoot problems quickly.
These self-service platforms also let customers resolve issues on their own schedule, reducing frustration, building loyalty and lowering churn.
And the benefits of digital self-service extend beyond the customer. For telco businesses, empowering customers to handle routine tasks on their own reduces the burden on call centres and in-store staff. This allows telcos to reduce operational costs by reallocating human resources to complex or high-value interactions.
In addition, self-service portals offer strategic value for telecom brands by making it easier for customers to discover and purchase add-ons or upgrades, driving upsell and cross-sell opportunities. Because every interaction on a self-service platform generates data on customer behaviour and preferences, these insights can help telcos personalise offerings, anticipate issues and proactively engage customers.
There is also a direct correlation between self-service maturity and customer lifetime value, particularly in the enterprise segment. Business customers expect visibility, control and fast turnaround times. Providers that offer robust self-service portals and APIs become easier to do business with, which translates into longer relationships and higher revenue.
Here, it’s important to highlight that ‘digital-first’ does not mean ‘digital-only’. Telcos must recognise that customers want to be able to move fluidly between channels. A user may start on a mobile app, escalate to live chat and finish with an agent on the phone. If these channels are not tightly integrated, the experience quickly breaks down. True omnichannel engagement ensures context follows the customer, eliminating repetition and frustration.
In a market where connectivity alone is no longer a differentiator, experience becomes the product. Digital self-service is not about encouraging customers to forgo human support. It’s about giving them choice, speed and transparency – and, in doing so, creating experiences that customers actively choose, even when competitors are only a click away.
Warren Alberts
CEO
