Liberty Global to start texting with EU customers instead of calling them

In an effort to keep up with the communications habits of its consumer base, Liberty Global is telling its EU customers to send them a text next time instead of calling.

The telecom conglomerate’s U.K.-based Virgin Media will be the first to adopt the protocol, according to local trade pub Telecoms, with rollouts occurring later in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. 

“We understand that the lives of our customers are fluid and demanding,” Melanie Longdon, VP of customer experience operations at Liberty Global, told Telecoms. “We simply don’t have time to wait for answers to our questions—that’s why we are messaging each other more than ever in our personal lives. Knowing this, we are using [SMS provider] LivePerson’s market-leading technology to ensure Liberty Global goes fully digital, and align with consumers, empowering them to use our services on their own terms and at their own pace, for a best-in-class experience.”

Telecom operators have only a slightly better customer service/satisfaction record in the U.K. than U.S. operators do. 

Earlier this week, the Institute of Customer Service released its latest U.K. Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI), which rated the telco industry as 74.2 out of 100 for overall customer satisfaction. The average was 78.1 across all industries.