Yacht parties and luxury rides in sports cars – these are just some of the ways Circles.Life thanks its loyal customers.

Such experiences show the lengths to which the digital telco goes to make sure its customers feel appreciated and cared for. 

In Singapore’s crowded telecom market, customer service is a key differentiator.

Circles.Life's head of marketing Jeanette Wong explains that despite no-contract plans offering the option to switch easily between telco operators, customers have chosen to stay with the digital telco because of its exceptional customer service.

A digital-first operator that built all its systems from scratch, Circles.Life is able to closely track how happy its customers are, through their interactions with its website, app and other services.

The data insights Circles.Life draws help the company to spot potential problems so it can proactively prevent any troubles for customers, says Ms Zhuo Libai, head of customer happiness digitalisation. 

“When we gather the data that highlights the challenges our customers are facing, it serves as a powerful motivator for us to enhance and elevate their experience,” she says.

Launched in Singapore in 2016, Circles.Life has since expanded to the markets of Australia, Japan, Indonesia and Taiwan. 

The digital telco also conducts regular monthly surveys and studies metrics of customer satisfaction, such as how fast an issue is resolved. For instance, engineers are deployed to do onsite troubleshooting for users who are experiencing network issues.

“From a service perspective, we know we have succeeded when users’ frustrations are transformed into an insight on how to better serve them and deliver a good experience,” says Ms Honey Madaan, head of customer experience.

Such customer-centric efforts enable the operator to be constantly in touch with customers’ evolving needs and create the relevant products and services. 

For example, the telco was the first mobile virtual network operator in Singapore to introduce an eSIM, appealing to customers with hectic lifestyles as they can switch between multiple lines seamlessly.

Upon receiving feedback, the operator prioritises customer experience enhancements, with several teams working together to alleviate pain points. This reflects a common goal in delivering a superior experience, says Ms Zhuo.

A rewarding relationship

The Circle of Joy loyalty programme is often brought up as an example of a telco looking out for its customers. Unlike other rewards programmes, Circle of Joy offers customers better and more rewards the longer they are signed up with Circles.Life. Points are earned daily just by being a subscriber, and they can be redeemed for rewards like bill waivers and tech gadgets. 

For the second year running, it is recognised as the top telco in the Singapore’s Best Customer Service survey 2023/24 by The Straits Times and research firm Statista in the mobile carriers and telecommunications sub-category under Online Services and Digital Products. It has also topped the Internet service providers sub-category for the first time. 

On the company’s winning formula,  Ms Zhuo says: “We need to be customer advocates to put on the hats of our customers so that their needs are not neglected.”