Singtel accelerating customer engagement in purchase journey

It has made innovations through the integration of AI to live chat and its B2B e-commerce marketplace.

In the competitive realm of telecommunication and digital services, exceptional customer service is an important value proposition to customers. Most innovations in this space are centred in the B2C space, but lesser best practices and use cases are talked about for SME customers. With the merger of Singtel’s consumer and business segment divisions, opportunities to leverage tools from external technology and internal best practices were set into action.

Grounded by a core belief that customer-first experiences are crucial, pain points from SME customers were gathered which pointed towards a “love-hate” with digital interactions when it comes to managing their telecommunication needs and the purchase cum decision-making process.

Unlike products and plans for consumers, SME customers often rely on more personalised solutions and engagement to set up their connectivity and ICT needs end-to-end.  Hence, the task for Singtel is to harness the most relevant digital technology whilst not losing the needed human touch. New personalised support and expert guidance with the help of AI through bots that interweave with real-time chat capabilities was introduced, with the goal to assist whenever needed without waiting time whilst also being able to serve with live agents that are subject matter experts who can sell through advisory with personalised products and service experience.

In fact, high-value customers and VIPs are proactively engaged to ensure that they feel appreciated and their needs are taken care of with the utmost care and priority.

In pursuit of best-in-class digital customer experience, there is always emphasis on comprehensive service that extends beyond the initial purchase, providing post-purchase support to address any questions or issues that arise, ensuring a cohesive and satisfying customer journey.

Singtel has also adopted cutting-edge technologies such as AI-powered chatbots to handle routine inquiries, allowing the team to focus on complex, high-value interactions. This hybrid model enhances efficiency whilst maintaining a personal touch.

This is made possible via an integrated chat system that works seamlessly with customer relationship management and e-commerce platforms, offering a unified view of customer interactions. It ensures ease of navigation, allowing the company to deliver a cohesive and personalised customer experience across all touchpoints.

Recognising its excellence in customer experience, Singtel has extended its role to integrate chat sales into its enterprise-level online e-commerce operations. The team demonstrates agility and proficiency, effectively scaling operations whilst maintaining high standards of customer service.

Singtel prioritises continuous improvement for its teams through regular training sessions that update members on the latest products, services, and customer service techniques, ensuring that they possess the knowledge and skills to provide exceptional service. It also empowers the teams to implement best practices that enhance the customer experience, from refining engagement techniques to leveraging data-driven insights.

Singtel’s achievements highlight the company’s commitment to enhancing customer satisfaction for online shoppers. Customers particularly praise the system’s responsiveness, helpfulness, and effective problem-solving abilities, highlighting its capability to resolve issues and answer queries promptly. Singtel's approach highlights the transformative power of prioritising customer experience for business success, emphasising investment in customer-centric strategies, promoting innovation, and consistently surpassing customer expectations in a competitive environment.

Singtel’s commendable efforts have earned them recognition from the coveted Asian Experience Awards 2024, as Singtel won the Singapore Customer Experience of the Year - Telecommunications category.

“Grounded in customer-centricity and continuous improvement, we are positioned to foster future growth and establish new standards for delivering outstanding customer experiences,” the company said.

Looking ahead, Singtel remains committed to leveraging its customer experience strategy to uphold leadership in telecommunications and digital services.

Redefining telco B2B e-commerce experience

Singtel has also been acknowledged by the prestigious awards programme for its B2B e-commerce marketplace, which has redefined the B2B e-commerce landscape through innovative technologies.

Successful integration of Singtel’s CRM and eCommerce platforms helped to address the significant limitations of decades-old e-commerce platforms in supporting new product launches and performing any form of personalisation, as it has seen a crucial gap in the company’s approach to serving SME customers. Centred around B2B hyper-personalisation and automation, Singtel is able to leverage AI to provide customers with a delightful shopping experience at scale.

Singtel’s B2B AI Recommender, which recommends the right products at the right time to the right customers, along with automated marketing to ensure quick go-to-market for personalised online campaigns with minimal human intervention, allowed Singtel to deliver personalised offers and recommendations to customers, resulting in an increase in average revenue per user. These initiatives have also been able to reduce operational costs and improve resource allocation by automating manual processes and streamlining campaign management, resulting in a more efficient and agile organisation.

The Asian Experience Awards celebrates companies that are delivering meaningful brand experiences to their stakeholders. The B2B AI Recommender innovation earned Singtel the Singapore Digital Experience of the Year - Telecommunications award in the highly esteemed awards programme.

The Asian Experience Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2025 awards programme and be acclaimed for providing meaningful brand experiences to stakeholders, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].