Reducing contact costs through brilliant self-serve

The Challenge

Sky's contact centers were being overwhelmed with "lost satellite signal" calls. Customers experiencing signal issues would immediately phone for help, often waiting on hold for 15+ minutes to speak to an advisor who would walk them through basic troubleshooting steps.

Each call cost Sky approximately £5-7 to handle, and thousands of these calls were coming in daily. The vast majority could be resolved with simple self-serve troubleshooting - checking cables, rebooting equipment, or waiting out temporary signal interference.

The existing troubleshooting guidance was buried deep in the Sky website, written in technical language, and nearly impossible to find when you actually needed it. Customers wanted help now, in the moment of frustration, not to hunt through FAQs.

Business Impact

• High operational costs: Thousands of calls per day at £5-7 per call
• Poor customer experience: Long wait times, frustrated customers, simple issues taking 20+ minutes to resolve
• Advisor frustration: Contact center staff spending time on repetitive, basic troubleshooting
• Opportunity cost: Advisors tied up on simple issues couldn't handle more complex customer needs

The Approach

We took a service design approach that mapped the entire customer journey from the moment they lost signal through to resolution. This revealed opportunities across multiple touchpoints - not just one channel.

1. Journey Mapping & Research

We conducted contextual research with customers experiencing signal issues in their homes, spoke with contact center advisors, and analyzed call data to understand the problem deeply:

• Most signal issues resolved themselves within 2-3 minutes (temporary interference)
• The next largest category was loose or disconnected cables
• Customers wanted immediate guidance, not to search for help
• The moment of need was right there on the TV screen - that's where help should be

2. Multi-Channel Self-Serve Solution

Rather than building a single solution, we designed an integrated experience across every channel where customers might seek help:

On-Screen Support (Primary Intervention): When signal was lost, the TV screen itself became the help interface. Clear, visual troubleshooting steps appeared directly on screen with simple animations showing cable checks, equipment placement, and reset procedures. Customers could resolve issues without picking up their phone.

Automated Voice System (AVS): For customers who did call, we redesigned the IVR to offer proactive troubleshooting before routing to an advisor. "I see you're calling about signal issues - let me help you fix that now." Guided steps with voice prompts and callbacks when issues were resolved.

Sky App: Built a guided troubleshooting wizard in the mobile app. Customers could walk through diagnostic steps, see visual guides, and get status updates on known outages in their area.

Online Help: Redesigned web-based troubleshooting with clear step-by-step guides, video walkthroughs, and a service status checker showing regional issues.

3. Testing & Iteration

We ran extensive usability testing with customers experiencing real signal issues:

• Tested on-screen messaging clarity and comprehension
• Validated that visual cable checking guides were understandable
• Ensured the AVS script felt helpful, not robotic or frustrating
• Refined the app experience based on customer feedback

Each iteration reduced friction and increased the likelihood customers would successfully self-serve rather than escalate to an advisor.

The Results

Customer Experience Impact

Customers loved the on-screen support. Rather than waiting on hold for 15 minutes, they could fix issues in 2-3 minutes without leaving their sofa. The visual guides were clear, the steps were simple, and resolution was immediate.

Operational Impact

Contact center advisors were freed from repetitive troubleshooting calls to focus on complex issues, sales, and retention conversations. Call volume for signal issues dropped 42%, translating to approximately £1.5m in annualized savings.

The AVS system successfully resolved issues for customers who did call before they reached an advisor, further reducing handling time and costs.

Key Learnings

• Meet customers where they are: The best place to provide help was on the TV screen itself, not buried in a website. Customers shouldn't have to hunt for help when they're frustrated.
• Multi-channel matters: Different customers prefer different channels. Some want on-screen guidance, others prefer the app, some call immediately. Serving all channels created comprehensive coverage.
• Visual > Text: Showing customers what to check (animated cable diagrams) worked far better than written instructions. People learn visually, especially when stressed.
• Self-serve improves satisfaction: Counterintuitively, customers who fixed issues themselves were more satisfied than those who spoke to advisors. Immediate resolution beats waiting on hold.
• Service design creates value: By mapping the entire journey and designing interventions at multiple touchpoints, we created millions in value while improving experience.

What We Delivered

• End-to-end service blueprint showing customer journey and pain points
• On-screen troubleshooting interface design and content
• AVS script redesign with proactive troubleshooting flow
• Sky app troubleshooting wizard UX and visual guides
• Online help redesign with improved findability and clarity
• Measurement framework to track self-serve adoption and contact deflection
• Ongoing optimization recommendations based on usage data