New real-time customer insights platform powered by Qualtrics allowed Lumen to increase NPS scores 17 points year over year

Lumen found that when their frontline service technicians feel recognized for delivering excellent customer service, they are nine times more likely to resolve customer issues in a single visit

Qualtrics, the leader and creator of the experience management (XM) category, has expanded its partnership with Lumen, a global enterprise technology platform and telecommunications company. This collaboration aims to redesign Lumen's customer and employee experience programs, enhancing the services provided to customers.

Real-Time Insights Platform

Powered by the Qualtrics XM® for Customer Experience suite and Qualtrics AI, the newly developed real-time customer insights platform combines feedback from over two dozen sources. This includes customer interactions, service performance, and market-specific trends from unstructured feedback like social media and call center transcripts.

These real-time insights into customer and employee experience performance allow Lumen to tailor communications based on specific customer needs and recent experiences. For example, call center agents can view a Customer Health Score that fluctuates daily based on real-time operational inputs, enabling more relevant and empathetic communication with customers.

As a result of its partnership with Qualtrics, Lumen has achieved a 17-point year-over-year increase in Net Promoter Score (NPS), indicating significant gains in customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Empathy in Customer Engagement

"Real-time data signals mean that our people can meet the moment and engage customers with empathy," said Kristina Nissen, Senior Vice President of Strategic Pursuits and Mid-Market at Lumen Technologies. "Our new customer health scores powered by Qualtrics provide our people with a more comprehensive understanding of how to help each customer as an individual and which actions they can take to make the biggest impact on their experience."

Contextual Insights for Smarter Communications

Research from the Qualtrics XM Institute reveals that how customers feel about an experience significantly impacts their future loyalty. Although Lumen had a wealth of experiential data showing customer sentiments, it lacked operational context. For instance, the company couldn't determine if an unhappy customer had recently experienced a service issue.

Lumen leveraged Qualtrics AI and natural language processing capabilities to build a comprehensive real-time customer insights platform. This platform combines data from various sources, including unstructured feedback from online forums, review sites, and social media, along with operational metrics like on-time service delivery. This fusion enables a better understanding of Lumen experiences that most influence customer satisfaction and loyalty.

"Unstructured data represents close to 90% of the data generated today, and Qualtrics AI enables organizations to extract rich information that paints a comprehensive view of customers' experiences and pain points," said Manisha Powar, Chief Product Officer of Qualtrics XM for Customer Experience. "Armed with this information, organizations can identify and prioritize improvements that significantly affect customers' emotions—boosting loyalty and profits."

Linking Employee Recognition to Business Outcomes

Lumen also utilized Qualtrics to establish a strong connection between Employee Experience (EX) and customer outcomes. Insights from Qualtrics XM for Customer Experience revealed that frontline service technicians who feel recognized for delivering excellent customer service are nine times more likely to resolve customer issues in a single visit.

Based on these insights, Lumen leaders enhanced the promotion and recognition of exceptional customer service within the company’s field organization. This approach has led to operational cost savings, improved time management, and a more engaged workforce.

"You cannot drive exceptional customer experience without unlocking the employee experience," stated Nissen. "For us, focusing on both experiences and empowering our employees is unlocking growth, profitability, and increased customer loyalty."

Through its expanded partnership with Qualtrics, Lumen is redefining its approach to customer and employee experiences. By harnessing real-time insights and fostering a culture of recognition, Lumen is not only enhancing customer satisfaction but also driving loyalty and engagement within its workforce.