Likely in an effort to reduce customer service costs and keep the tools for resolving the most basic, common phone problems in the hands of the users themselves, Vodafone has inked a deal with SNAPin Software to bring its SelfService software to handsets. Available initially on smartphones, the app will let folks keep tabs on their accounts, diagnose common configuration issues, and fix them all without having to interact with a pesky (read: expensive) human. Trials conducted by the carrier indicated that the app was well-received, and interestingly could actually boost revenue by making previously timid users more willing to branch out and try new offerings, knowing that they can be bailed out by the software if they find themselves in some sort of quagmire. Vodafone hopes that this solution will make calling customer service unneeded in most of the cases, which is on one hand good for the customers, as they don't have to wait for minutes for an operator and on the other hand it's good for Vodafone too, as they don't have to further expand their customer service and moreover the free calls won't be taking up the precious lines.
Translated by Szaszati
