UK mobile operators are failing to connect with their customers by delivering impersonal and irrelevant communications. Not only do almost half (48 per cent) of mobile subscribers feel the marketing materials they receive are ill-targeted and not personal to their needs, but only 5 per cent said their operator had referenced a previous communication they had in correspondence.

The figures comes from new research commissioned by   customer communications firm, Thunderhead. The Disconnected Customer study of over 6,000 UK bill payers looked at how service providers from across six industries; mobile, landline, cable, insurance, banking and gas communicate and engage with their customers. Research was carried out online by YouGov. 49 per cent of mobile subscribers who responded to the survey said they felt the communications they receive indicate their providers don’t know them at all.

Thunderhead notes that for an industry that has recognised it needs to pay close attention to customer retention, and is beginning to deliver personalised services through the deployment of Customer Experience Management (CEM) systems, operators are missing the mark, noting that operators are consistently failing to acknowledge their customers’ preference, provide flexibility and a willingness to meet customer needs in terms of the communications they send.

“The capacity for intelligent, informed and individual communications is a powerful differentiator in competitive markets,” says Thunderhead CEO, Glen Manchester. “Knowing, for instance, that a well-placed apology is enough to win back 56 per cent  of our research group after a negative experience is useful, but only if you can identify the customer and their history, and you know how to communicate with them quickly.”

You can get a video infographic and whitepaper including all the results here.