The role of customer self-service in a pandemic
Before the advent of the global pandemic in 2020, the ease of paying a bill over the phone, no longer having to queue to access basic amenities such as electricity and airtime due to the rise of virtual wallets were commonly reserved for the “tech-savvy’’, millennial and Generation X’ers who were constantly attached to their mobile devices.
The times we are living in have shown all of us that e-commerce and other mobile transactional platforms put in place to act initially as added convenience or a ticked box on the Customer Experience journey, are no longer “nice to-haves” but actual life-saving interventions which all companies should be adopting.
“In April 2020, when we entered into a 28day period of Extreme Social Distancing, as a business we knew we had a responsibility to step in and ensure that we were able to help the government do everything it could to control the spread of COVID-19. This included putting in place measures to reduce movement and ensure our customers were not inconvenienced by having to stay home,’’ says Lorato Mwape, MultiChoice Botswana managing director.
‘’Over a year later, our Customer Experience team continues to prioritise the migration of our customer base to our Self-Service offerings to ensure not only convenience but the utmost safety of our customers.”
Over the years MultiChoice has partnered with local companies to provide online services for almost all customers’ needs. From a partnership with BotswanaPost, enabling customers to make payment via PosoMoney, to partnerships with BTC’S Smega. Orange Money and Mascom Botswana’s MyZaka which both have electronic wallets allowing easy transfer of funds into customer’s DStv accounts, customers are spoiled for choice on how to stay connected to DStv, remotely.
This has significantly eliminated the need for customers to travel to branches and/or agencies, and as the nation navigates its way through yet another wave of COVID-19, this is something the business is working tirelessly to embe in the behavioral patterns of its customers.
“We are well aware that not all of our customers have taken to the advancements made in technology which include online banking and the use of e-wallets to make payments,” says Idah Simola, MultiChoice Botswana’s newly appointed customer experience manager.
“I cannot urge enough, however, that this is the time we need to practice the ‘’spirit of Botho’’ and extend ourselves by assisting those around us who aren’t able to use these platforms.
The beauty of these services, such as the MyDStv App, the WhatsApp Self-Service line, and all of our third party payment platforms with Botswana’s major banks and mobile network operators, is that all you need is the SmartCard number of the account holder to transact. If there was ever a time to show a sense of community, the time is now.”
As Botswana and the rest of SADC grapple with the third wave of COVID-19 from both a societal and economic perspective, MultiChoice Botswana continues to drive its local relevance campaign, #ReMoteng, reminding Batswana of the importance of subscribing locally for the benefit of the economy and the people of Botswana. Speaking on #ReMoteng, Mwape concluded, “Staying local means being able to safely subscribe and manage your accounts from the comfort of your home.
It means putting money back into our economy, creating more jobs for Batswana, and creating more opportunities for growth in the creative industry. It also allows us to continue to bring and implement initiatives that help our customers throughout their customer journey.
The dangers of crossing the border to subscribe for DStv elsewhere no longer only have a negative impact on the economy of Botswana but pose a serious threat to ones safety as well.”