The challenge

Like all the big players in the telecoms space, our client was coming under increasing pressure from market disruption. New entrants offering low-priced tariffs and alternative ways for customers to buy and use phones had pushed the company to re-focus on customer experience.

What would a ‘dream state’ experience for customers look like and how could the new billings platform be implemented to support it? Our task was to design this ‘dream state’ customer experience even if it meant challenging the underlying assumptions on which our client’s current products were based.

The approach

Our client asked us to establish a squad of researchers and proposition designers to integrate with their internal team, creating a joint transformation lab of more than 20 people. With this team in place, we conducted more than 80 hours of direct customer interviews, complemented with over 50 hours of customer testing in both Edinburgh and London.

We spent time with colleagues in the group’s contact centre to validate our assumptions with employees and customers. This testing gave us evidence to show to senior stakeholders at weekly gallery walks and provided a growing body of insight to inform the new service.

The outcome

Ultimately, we provided a blueprint, proposition, business case and product roadmap for a innovative new service, as well as an internal delivery team that had invested in the new service and were driven to see it succeed. As a result of this lab the client has made a significant investment into a new product engine that EY are building for their future protection business.