Imperative to improve self-service customer experience channels

Benchmarking reveals poor IVR containment and high website friction across ten major ANZ telecommunications operators.

Umesh Thanai · Venture Consulting1 May 2020Period: May 20204 min read

Last updated 8 June 2026

197→

Total number of IVR options for Operator T1

11→

Number of IVR tree levels for Operator T1

Locked

+1more stats

Companies covered:OptusVodafoneTPGAmaysimSpark NZ2degreesOrconTrustpowerTelstra

Abstract

This report analyses the self-service customer experience (CX) performance of ten ANZ telcos across IVR, website, and social media channels. Benchmarking reveals that leading operators maintain surprisingly poor IVR structures with over 100 options and near-zero self-containment. The study highlights how COVID-19 has amplified these existing gaps, driving call centre overloads and customer frustration. It provides a strategic response plan for operators to transition to a 'new normal' by elevating scalable self-serve channels and fixing long-standing digital friction points.

Key Takeaways

ANZ telcos maintain overly complex IVR systems, with one operator featuring 197 options across 11 levels.
Self-containment in IVR trees is near-zero for many leading operators, failing to resolve top service queries before the third level.
Digital purchase journeys are inefficient, requiring up to 15 clicks compared to the global best practice of fewer than 7.

stakeholder implications · PDF download

Frequently Asked Questions

Current IVR systems are failing to resolve queries, with some operators featuring up to 197 options across 11 levels. This excessive complexity results in near-zero self-containment, forcing customers to bypass automated systems and seek human agents for basic service requests.

ANZ telcos are significantly behind international standards, requiring up to 15 clicks to complete a mobile purchase. This is more than double the global best practice of fewer than 7 clicks, indicating substantial digital friction and lost conversion opportunities.

While some operators maintain 300 support articles, these resources are often buried behind inefficient digital journeys. Failure to integrate these assets into social media and Messenger channels limits their scalability and leaves call centres exposed to avoidable volume.

Imperative to improve self-service customer experience channels

Abstract

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

Free

Lite

Team

Abstract

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

Unlock the full report

Free

Lite

Team