GenAI and UX: How Telecoms Are Designing Smarter Customer Experiences
- Karan Sethi & Shruti Nade
- Nov 12
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 13
At Optiva, we believe the true potential of AI is unlocked when paired with an intuitive, user-friendly design. The launch of our new AI agents is an exciting leap forward, proving that enhanced customer engagement and operational efficiency rely on making every interaction seamless, engaging, and trustworthy.
The New Battleground: Experience in a Commodity Market
Connectivity has become an essential utility. But in this highly competitive and unforgiving industry, telecom operators worldwide are struggling daily to differentiate their brands. With average revenue per user (ARPU) growth often stagnant in mature markets and some regions seeing mobile ARPU fall at a CAGR of -1.3%, according to PwC, the financial health of a telecom brand hinges on its ability to minimize churn and maximize loyalty.
An exceptional customer experience (CX) is no longer a luxury. It’s the primary battleground and the ultimate selling proposition. The arrival of generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI offers telecom operators a wonderful opportunity to break old service rules and set new ones that benefit customers and deliver truly exceptional experiences.
Why UX Matters in an AI-Driven World
We are coming out of a world where data was not regularly available in sufficient quantities and are generally moving into one where data is abundant, sometimes more than needed. In this world, we need UX to drive much clearer outcomes and calls to action than ever before.
In an industry defined by complex technology, a smooth user experience is essential. The data clearly shows why UX is now non-negotiable:
Massive AI Adoption: Up to 95% of customer interactions will be AI-powered by 2025, according to Servion Global Solutions, underscoring the need for robust and easy-to-use interfaces.
Growing Investment: 63% of companies expect to increase their investment in AI for customer support over the next 12 months, according to McKinsey, highlighting increasing confidence in these experiences.
The Personalization Payoff: Companies using AI-powered personalization see significant improvements in engagement, conversion, and customer loyalty as personalized content can boost revenue by up to 40%, according to Invoca.
Three GenAI Game-Changers for New-Age CX
The core power of GenAI lies in its ability to process complex information and take context-aware, autonomous actions. This capability fundamentally changes how we design customer service flows.
1. Breaking the Script: From Deterministic to Intuitive Journeys
The current way of providing customer service relies on deterministic workflows. They're rigid, logical flows that force customers down scripted paths with multiple clicks and mandatory steps. While predictable, these flows introduce unnecessary friction and frustration.
GenAI and agentic AI allow us to embrace non-deterministic workflows. AI can bypass unnecessary steps, infer the customer’s nuanced intent and context, and select the fastest, most effective resolution path.
This is the difference between a frustrating interactive voice response (IVR) system and a voice-based GenAI agent that instantly understands a complex, empathetic request like, "I'm moving next week and need to transfer my broadband service, but I'm worried about the installation date overlapping with my closing day." The non-deterministic agent cuts straight to the action, introducing more empathy and speed.
UX Focus: emphasizes clarity and simplicity, ensuring AI’s complex understanding is presented back to the user as a simple, direct path to resolution, greatly reducing cognitive load.
2. Beyond Text: Seamless, Multi-Modal Problem Solving
Traditional interactions are often limited to a single channel (text chat or voice call). GenAI, however, is built to effortlessly accept and analyze multi-modal inputs, including text, voice, image, and video. It can also produce the output in the format the user needs. This powerful capability allows customers to state their problem quickly, provide all relevant data in a single interaction, and get immediate resolution to common issues.
For example, when a customer’s internet is down, they can upload a photo of the blinking red light on their modem via the app. AI will instantly analyze the image, cross-reference it with diagnostic data, identify the error, and deliver a short video tutorial on the exact fix. This ability to accept rich, complex input and provide rich output is a massive advantage.
UX Focus: the interface must support the exchange with consistency across all touchpoints (e.g., app, web, voice) and offer accessibility, accommodating diverse communication preferences without friction.
3. The End of Busywork: Incentivizing Resolution, Not Time
The rise of agentic AI means agents are incentivized to achieve a desired outcome (e.g., account updated, issue resolved) with maximum automation. This autonomous feature is possible because the GenAI agent is equipped with the tools and authority to take actions on behalf of the organization.
This shift in KPIs is critical: the entire resolution process is now incentivized for closure and speed, which drives the customer satisfaction score (CSAT) up manyfold. Autonomous systems are already cutting costs per call by up to 50% while simultaneously increasing CSAT scores, according to McKinsey. Agentic AI is far better equipped to autonomously handle the recurring issues that form the bulk of customer tickets.
When escalation is required, the UI clearly shows what the AI has already attempted or resolved, so the customer service representative (CSR) never repeats work. CSRs using the case management portal will experience less screen switching and more meaningful interventions. Customers will experience faster, clearer resolutions with minimal back-and-forth. Operators will experience lower costs, higher net promoter score/CSAT, and scalable support infrastructure.
UX Focus: build trust through feedback and responsiveness. When agentic AI autonomously processes a refund or applies a credit, the interface provides a crystal-clear, instantaneous confirmation with an audit trail, assuring the user that the action was completed and is final.
Optiva’s UX-First Commitment
Optiva weaves UX design principles into every phase of our AI projects. This is how we ensure our solutions showcase technological excellence and deliver measurable value through trustworthy, user-friendly design. Strong visual design builds trust and usability.
By incorporating intuitive icons, clear color schemes, and streamlined navigation, our AI agents become more accessible and approachable, which is essential for building confidence and encouraging adoption.
Looking Ahead
As AI continues to evolve rapidly, so do customers' expectations. We are moving from simple chatbots to fully autonomous, intelligent agents that solve problems end-to-end.
By prioritizing UX and visual design, focusing on non-deterministic speed, multi-modal flexibility, and outcome-based resolution, Optiva is positioned to lead. This fundamental shift in CX is the essential innovation required to turn a competitive utility into a valued, exceptional service.
Want to know more about Optiva’s 5G-ready proven BSS that powers brands globally? Request a presentation.
By
Karan Sethi, Director Product Management
&
Shruti Nade, Web & Graphic Designer