Most CX programs try to fix service by adding more channels. This one started by asking a different question - why were customers reaching out in the first place?
A major European pay-TV and streaming provider came to Firstsource with a straightforward request. They didn't want to deflect calls or force migration to digital. They wanted customers to feel that getting help was easy again. That became the anchor for everything that followed.
Start With Friction, Not Features
When we sat with their product owners, one pattern kept surfacing. Customers weren't struggling because support was unavailable. They were struggling because answers were too hard to find. Billing queries triggered long wait times, content searches led to repeat contacts, and the existing model was burning effort without moving the experience forward.
We started by identifying what created friction, then rebuilt content flows, clarified journeys, and removed repetitive steps hidden in everyday interactions. We kept the goal simple and direct. Support should feel effortless however customers choose to engage.
Creating Efficient Customer Experiences
Language was one of the first barriers to fall. German-speaking customers could chat in their own language while our agents responded in English, with AI handling translation in real time. Both sides won as customers felt understood, and the client saw close to 30% cost savings.
We offered customers multi-channel touchpoints. Simple questions moved naturally to WhatsApp, physical mail was scanned and handled digitally, and email and chat became consistent instead of unpredictable. Customers no longer felt pushed toward specific channels but simply used what felt right.
Quality improved because we started analyzing everything. Each interaction, every issue pattern, every point where customers paused, repeated, or dropped off. Fixes became faster and more accurate. As the help center became more effective, website traffic climbed while call volumes diminished.
Building a Different Kind of Partnership
Over two years, the transformation shifted from tactical support to structural partnership. Firstsource now manages 98% of the company's digital interactions, roughly a third of all customer touchpoints. The company didn't chase channel shift but earned it through better experience design.
Digital containment improved, voice dependency fell, and service consistency stabilized. Customers who once struggled to get help began reporting higher satisfaction and stronger loyalty.
Getting the Sequence Right
The usual playbook focuses on cost first and experience second. This partnership worked because the order flipped. When you fix the experience, efficiency naturally follows. Customers solved more queries on their own because the digital paths finally made sense, and the company gained better control of service delivery without compromising what mattered to customers.
Three signals stood out.
- Change happens quickly when both teams work towards the same goals.
- Technology works better when paired with the right people and clear processes.
- Bold transformation creates advantages that competitors cannot match with incremental adjustments.
Building Services That Customers Choose
Digital transformation succeeds when it starts with customer effort, not company cost. The media giant proved that making channels genuinely useful drives natural migration without forced deflection. Customers choose digital when it works better than alternatives, not because you've closed other options.
The partnership with Firstsource demonstrates what's possible when both sides commit to solving real problems instead of chasing metrics. Better experience creates better economics. Sustainable efficiency comes from eliminating friction, not cutting corners.
Based on HFS Research’s analysis of Firstsource's partnership with a leading European media provider. Read the full case study here.