Over the years, the UK Premium Services Market has gained a very specific place on the global market. Although being one of the oldest markets in the Premium Services space, the UK Premium Services market was also one of the few markets that was closed to reopen a few years later.
Our services and the UK
We have been providing specialised help desk and outsourced business solutions in a variety of countries. Carrier Billing Desk offers you a turnkey helpdesk solution. We are your front line management for complaints handling. Carrier Billing Desk is also the first point of entry for questions that consumers might have regarding your premium service.
Our consultants exclusively work in this highly specialised Premium Services space. Over the years we have encountered every possible scenario. Our standardised methodical approach has proven to be successful. In each call we inform the end user about what occurred, and what to do to avoid repeats (see also this page for more information).
By working under the telco-support banner and being independent from your service, end-users are more willing to negotiate. That lowers your costs of refunds significantly and protects your name in the market. Our agents are also your eyes and ears in the field: we all know the sometimes unwanted side effects of marketing done by affiliates.
Our consultants operate 24/7 or weekdays or office hours only: any variation that you might require is possible. Ongoing training, highly automated state of the art platforms and our experience ensure that your premium services are in professional hands.
Besides our standard solutions for your premium help desk, we offer bespoke solutions, tailored to your needs. Think of integration with your current systems or CRM, automatic updating of your subscriber bases and so on.
UK history of Premium Services
Initially the UK end user adopted UK Premium Services very quickly, and a lot of players yielded very good returns on their advertising budgets.
However, the lack of regulation caused a sharp rise in the number of complaints. It also attracted many (foreign) content providers. Who doesn’t want to make a ‘quick buck’?
One-click, hidden subscriptions and things like “auto renewal” services created a new word: Bill Shock. There were also plenty of services that simply were bad value for money. Focused on making money, serious customer care was the last thing service providers had on their mind.
This meant that the end user could only complain directly with the telecommunication companies. Or worse, they would go directly to the official channels such as industry ombudsmen.
The market was confronted with more and more evidence, that self-regulation didn’t work. Proper policing was needed, but it was already too late. Local Members of Parliament got involved, and combined with all negative media attention, the market was shut down.
All stakeholders in the market could see the advantage making payments via the mobile phone. A more strict framework of regulations and rules was subsequently developed and introduced.
Fast forward and the industry implemented a new set of clearer rules and approval methods for new services. In 2015 the UK premium services market was reinstated.
Our specialized and dedicated team of agents help your end users. We manage the information flow and with that, protect your brand and your interests.
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