SK Telecom (SKT) is South Korea’s largest mobile service provider, with nearly 50 per cent market share. The company recently announced its 2021 results reporting US$13.75 billion in revenues and growth in net income of 61.2%. SK Telecom prides itself to be at the pole position of the National Customer Satisfaction Index for the 24th year straight as they constantly strive to improve their customer experience.

The telco organises itself into five business units, viz., Mobile & Fixed-line, Media, Enterprise, AIVERSE and Connected Intelligence. The largest of the business groups is the Mobile & Fixed Line, contributing to 79% of the total revenue. Additionally, SK Telecom’s 5G customer base has surpassed 10 million subscribers and SK Broadband increased its revenues by 9 per cent YoY.

SK Telecom is recognised as one of the most innovative telco’s in the world and is also a leader in driving non-connectivity business.

Drive for CX

“As we open a new chapter in our corporate history, we will strengthen our market leadership by offering customer-centred technologies and services, and make redoubled efforts to become a socially responsible company” – Ryu Young-sang, CEO, SK Telecom

twimbit conducted a detailed research to identify the top 10 telcos in APAC to ace customer experience. In this research, we analysed telcos based on 4 distinct pillars, viz., digital experience, service experience, employee experience and brand experience.

SK Telecom has the top position amongst all telcos in Asia Pacific. Its strong drive to enhance employee experience served as a blueprint for delivering exceptional customer experience. Among all the telcos evaluated across Asia Pacific, SK Telecom scored above average and the highest in employee experience. The operator also focuses on leveraging new-age technologies such as AI, analytics, big data, and other consumer-oriented technologies to deliver a seamless digital experience.

Key Initiatives

Employees design their own happiness

SK Telecom is among the few telcos to emphasise and invest in enhancing employee experience. The telco designed ‘IM HAPPY’, an application to measure happiness. It used this data to mould internal programs and implement improvement plans.

This simple and easy application acts like a diary for employees. It allows employees to express how they feel using stickers and happiness ratings. At the end of the month, employees and SKT get to see their ‘Happiness Report’ with specific happiness levels, average mood and happiness keywords shown within. Using this data, SKT strives to help drive a balance between corporate and personal life.

Among the plans born from this application is ‘Happy Friday’, which employees can take off every third Friday of the month.

The happiness level of employees increased by 68.1% on Fridays, and a survey showed that 90% of employees are satisfied with this implementation.

IM HAPPY has proven to be an effective tool for SK Telecom, it helps the company to look forward and plan its initiatives to enhance employee satisfaction and in turn improve customer experience.

SK Telecom’s goal is to transition into an “AI & Digital Infrastructure Service Company”

Positioning SK Telecom as an “AI & Digital infrastructure Service Company” helps it imbibe digital in its DNA. The company leverages new-age digital technologies such as AI/ML, big data, and analytics to design services relevant to its customers’ needs and preferences. The AIVERSE, AI+Universe, is a good example of how SK Telecom builds AI-based subscription services.

Among other initiatives is integrating its AI Agent into all products and services, which enables SKT to provide personalised services to meet each customer’s needs and preferences.

“With a sense of mission and responsibility as the leading service company in Korea, we will strive to create social value and contribute to improving the quality of life” – Ryu Young-sang, CEO, SKT

SK Telecom’s 24-hour AI consultation services are gaining traction every month

SK Telecom introduced two AI consultation services; Voicebot in 2018 and Chatbot in 2020. These AI consultation devices operate 24 hours / day and leverage AI enabled automatic response systems. The aim of deploying these services are to improve customer satisfaction by providing accurate, real-time and easily customisable information to meet their needs.

The AI services provides easy access to consultation for customers and are also simple to understand. Customers have consultation services at their fingertips, increasing their trust and confidence in SK Telecom.

The total number of customer consultations done using AI increased by 38% at the end of September 2021

SK Telecom aims to improve the AI consultation service continuously. One key initiative is to provide a customised list of consultation topics by anticipating the purpose of customer requests.

Aiding the disadvantaged with AI

SK Telecom leverages AI for social impact with the aim of augmenting the quality of life through leverage of ICT technologies. A case in point is the implementation of ‘AI Care Service’ for the elderly who live alone on government support. This service will also help individuals with disabilities by providing features such as the “T map Tax” application exclusively for taxi drivers with hearing impairments and the “Happiness Coding School” for children and adolescents with disabilities.

How you can match up with/to SK Telecom

SK Telecom has leveraged ecosystem partnerships to enhance digital, service, brand and employee experience. It has deployed initiatives and operates in very focused manner to tackle their goals and improve customer experience. In the year 2021, SK Telecom has moved ahead of its competition by deploying NUGU. SK Telecom elevates CX with a en emphasis on the following 3 areas:

• Focuses on emerging technologies to build personalised experiences
• Tracks and enhances employee happiness to improve customer happiness
• Uses technology for the inclusion of the underprivileged

Please click here to access a quick read on telco CX leaders in APAC.