DIRECTV 2012 Annual Report Download - page 13

critically acclaimed original series content, such as Damages, on our
AUDIENCE Network.
We’re developing next-generation sound and picture quality, as well as
taking the features and functionality of consumers’ TV viewing and time
shifting capabilities to a new level with the DIRECTV Genie, our industry-
leading, high-definition whole-home DVR service. The DIRECTV Genie has
up to three times more high-definition recording capacity than cable and
allows our customers to record five different high-definition programs
simultaneously without any conflicts.
We’re also making significant progress with our DIRECTV Everywhere
initiative, with On Demand streaming content from 37 different networks
and 78 channels now available for live in-home streaming. DIRECTV
customers also have the ability to stream live content from our AUDIENCE
Network outside of their homes. In 2013, we plan to expand our DIRECTV
Everywhere capabilities even further and continue to improve our world-
class user interface across all devices, with a particular emphasis on search,
discovery and social networking.
And with the future in mind, we’re investing in new satellites, related
broadcast infrastructure, and foundational technology development to
ensure our service and product innovations remain at the forefront of the
industry for years to come.
TRANSFORMING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE
There is nothing more important than delighting our greatest asset and
earning the enthusiastic loyalty of our more than 20 million customers.
Our goal is to make the customer service experience a hallmark of the
DIRECTV brand, drive higher loyalty levels and meaningfully differentiate
DIRECTV from our competitors over the next several years.
With this in mind, we instituted an incentive plan for DIRECTV U.S. employees
with performance goals structured around delivering an unparalleled customer
service experience. To measure our progress, we’ve challenged the collective
efforts of the DIRECTV team to raise our Net Promoter Score by at least 20
points, improve productivity by eliminating 20 million service calls, reduce
customer escalations and unnecessary truck rolls by 20 percent, and drive a 10
basis point improvement in churn—all in the next three years.
By directly connecting with our customers to understand what matters most
to them, we have identified three improvement opportunities that will help us
define our world-class customer service experience going forward.
First, we’re simplifying our policies to make it easier for our customers to
do business with us. For example, last year we eliminated the programming
rebate redemption process. This new instant rebate not only improved the
customer experience, but has reduced complexity for our front-line care
workforce; as a result, we’re seeing a reduction in call volumes related
to billing inquiries at our call centers. Looking ahead at 2013, we plan to
simplify our policies even further with a new, easier to understand billing
statement; and make it easier and more intuitive for customers to manage
their account and understand features of the DIRECTV service on our
directv.com website.
Second, we’re establishing policies and procedures to reaffirm our
appreciation for our best customers by recognizing and rewarding
their loyalty with upgrade offers as well as launching a new program
which includes a “New Every Two” upgrade promise to receive our latest
product features and functionality. These policies are expected to both
increase customer satisfaction and drive financial returns.
“Our goal is to make the customer
service experience a hallmark of the
DIRECTV brand, drive higher loyalty
levels and meaningfully differentiate
DIRECTV from our competitors
over the next several years.”
A MESSAGE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS ANNUAL REPORT 2012