Author: Josh Lynch, Chief Operating Officer of UNITED COMMUNICATIONS
As a local internet service provider and telecommunications company, the experience we provide our customers is at the forefront of everything we do. In many ways, United has earned its reputation by embracing the values that Middle Tennessee is known for: helping our customers and neighbors, being friendly and responsive, and treating people the way they want to be treated.
United’s commitment to its customers is one of the biggest reasons I joined the company more than five years ago. Since then, I’m proud to say our team has continued to look for ways to provide our customers with the best possible experience. For example, our Customer Experience Committee (which includes team members from several different departments) set aside dedicated time a while back to intentionally design the experience we wanted United customers to have. Through this discussion, we identified the three core commitments we bring to every Middle Tennessee resident, business, or local government agency that we serve as a customer.
1. Make it Personal: We make real connections and create awesome moments.
If there’s one stereotype that defines most internet providers, it’s that they treat their customers like a number. One thing I love about being a local company is the opportunity to interact and engage with our customers. Making it personal comes naturally because our customers are also our neighbors, or they own our favorite business in town, or our children go to school together. It’s not unusual for our employees to know many of our customers on a first-name basis.
We work hard to make real connections and create positive, personal moments for our customers. Whether it’s finding custom solutions to support a local business’s internet needs or responding to every review, we listen to our customers and treat them the same way we would our friends.
2. Make it Easy: In everything we do, we simplify the lives of those we serve.
At United, we know that changing internet service or calling about an issue is usually considered an unpleasant experience. Our goal is to make the entire process easy from start to finish. We employ a local customer service team. Rather than waiting on hold for minutes on end, most of our customers are able to speak directly to a representative in less than 30 seconds.
One concept we discuss regularly is The Effortless Experience, based on the book by Nick Toman and Rick Delisi. This is what we strive to create for every customer. We’re currently exploring ways to measure our customer effort score similar to how we analyze our net promoter score.
3. Think Ahead: We anticipate and act today for the needs of tomorrow.
Another way we assist our customers is by anticipating and addressing their future needs. For example, we’ve proactively invested in building a world-class fiber optic network for our customers to offer the same internet speed and capacity as our national competitors.
In addition to building our high-performance fiber network, we’re creating a scalable infrastructure to continue to grow as our network expands. Whatever the future of the internet might look like, we want to build a network that can support all of our customers’ needs in advance.
Honoring These Commitments in Every Interaction and Decision
I believe that these commitments today reflect the values that United has held dear since our company was founded over 75 years ago. Whether it’s the software we utilize, the packages we offer, or the installation procedures we follow, we continue to use our core values to guide every decision we make. United’s commitment to our customers is the primary reason we’ve obtained a net promoter score of 84 when the average NPS in the telecommunications industry is 31. I’m so proud to work alongside so many incredible people who care about creating an exceptional customer experience.
If you are looking for an internet service provider that will take great care of you, United can help. To learn more about the customer experience we’ve created, check out what other customers are saying or connect with our team.
Author Bio:
Josh Lynch
Chief Operating Officer of United Communications
With over twenty years of leadership experience in the telecommunications industry, Josh Lynch plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of high-speed internet service at United Communications and in Middle Tennessee. He began his journey with United Communications after United acquired Athena Broadband in 2017, a company he co-founded. Josh worked as United’s Chief Customer Officer for four years and is now serving as its Chief Operating Officer.
Josh serves on the board as the Immediate Past Chair of the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and has been a dedicated board member of the Boys and Girls Club for the past five years. He also serves on the advisory board for USF College of Business CX Program as a member of their Steering Committee. In addition, Josh supports the community through his involvement with the Rotary Club and the Marshall Education Foundation.
Josh is a CXPA-Certified Customer Experience Professional and a Network Specialist in Computer Information Technology through TCAT. Josh graduated from Lee University with a BS in Business Administration. He is currently pursuing an MBA in Strategic Leadership from the University of Tennessee, with plans to graduate this December.