Article at a glance:

Automated self-service comes to telcos

Telecommunications companies won't be able to afford their expensive call centers much longer, given their shrinking margins. Fortunately, they can cut their customer service bills in half by following the lead of airlines and retailers that have successfully moved many of their transactions to the Web. Many customers are willing—and some even prefer—to deal with the telcos over the Internet, but these companies must dramatically improve their online capabilities to meet such people halfway.

The take-away

Customers complain that they can't get adequate information and services from the Web sites of many telcos. Improving their online presence to provide more of both will save them money in the long run.