VMO2 supercharges customer experiences

Exceptional experiences for everyone

In the telecom industry, consumer products and offerings from providers can often seem very similar. So, how can companies differentiate to attract and retain customers? By offering exceptional service and experiences. British provider Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) is doing just that, supercharging customer service using digital technologies and putting customer needs at the heart of everything it does.

VMO2 was formed in 2021 following the merger of two of the UK’s largest providers of broadband, home phone and mobile services. While the merger posed operating model challenges—siloed operations, legacy technology stacks and processes—it also provided a rare opportunity for a fresh start.

VMO2 partnered with Accenture to modernise its digital core and put customer experience (CX) at the centre of its business model. By applying the power of data and AI, the company now has deeper insights into customer needs and revamped business processes that eliminate inefficiencies which previously frustrated customers.

And this partnership is already delivering for both companies: VMO2’s net promoter score (NPS) jumped by up to 35% in some areas of service, while Accenture was named AWS Customer Experience Partner of the Year (Consulting) 2024.

From legacy tech to tech leader

To create a foundation for unified and personalised experiences, VMO2 implemented a cloud-based digital core that accesses customer data across multiple channels. It powers insight-driven interactions, enabling VMO2’s agents to predict customer needs and find the best resolution based on previous conversations and similar issues other customers have experienced.

The digital core also supports Amazon Connect, an AI-powered contact centre service from AWS. VMO2’s customers want issues resolved smoothly and without delay, and this solution eliminates customer transfers between agents to ensure first-time query resolution. Amazon Connect’s suite of tools empowers agents to handle customer interactions from start to finish across channels including voice, chat and mobile.

These tools include an AI app named Genie that listens to customer interactions and draws on customer data to suggest responses to agents in real-time, improving support speed and quality. Another tool provides a "next best action" banner with the month’s top offer, minimising the need to switch between screens and making service more efficient.

An AI-guided flow tool reduces the time it takes to document each call from 80 seconds to a matter of moments by automatically populating resolution pages. A unified agent desktop consolidates all tools and information, ensuring agents have everything they need at their fingertips, while a secure identity solution safeguards agent and customer data.

A new CX model simplifies the customer journey by using a single system to manage communications. It speeds up service, improving satisfaction and making customers more likely to stay loyal. This has resulted in a significant reduction in complaints to the UK telecoms regulator in three months, while increasing same-day complaints closure from 65% to 89%.

A rewarding approach to customer satisfaction

VMO2’s technology-led transformation has also unlocked new growth and reduced costs. For instance, thanks to new opportunities to upsell during customer interactions, sales-through-service revenue has soared, while customer service operating expenses have been reduced through call reduction as customers are able to resolve issues in a single call. Over the next five years, VMO2 aims to continue improvement of first-time resolution and its NPS—we're already ahead of schedule after just 18 months.

Moving forward, VMO2 plans to connect 1 million digitally excluded people in the UK by 2025 and equip 6 million people with the digital skills and tools to help them feel more connected. With a renewed and innovative focus on supercharging human interactions, VMO2 can now ensure every customer always receives the support they need, when they need it.