T-Mobile improves customer experience and compliance with Docusign

Confusing fees, long-term contracts and poor customer service have long been the norm for the mobile phone carrier industry. But T-Mobile has always prided itself on being exceptional. Beginning in 2012, the wireless network operator set out to transform these second-rate industry standards. T-Mobile’s CIO, Cody Sanford, says the idea was simple: “‘What do customers want?’ Let’s give it to them.”

Fueled by this unwavering desire to put the customer first, T-Mobile developed the Un-Carrier Revolution. This involved radical initiatives like creating simple contracts for calling, texting and data; offering to pay termination fees for customers switching to T-Mobile; and providing unlimited streaming from popular music and video platforms. The payoff was huge. Between 2012 and 2018, T-Mobile grew its customer base from 33 million to 72 million.

Elevating the in-store experience was a critical part of the transformation, and T-Mobile turned to Docusign to help make it happen. The results were stunning: The number of completed in-store transactions increased by 20% thanks to Docusign solutions. Speedier transactions not only boosted customer satisfaction but also T-Mobile’s profitability.

A fully digital in-store experience

When customers go to buy a new phone, they’re typically financing it in exchange for a lower upfront price. But this process requires a lot of paperwork, and T-Mobile must comply with a patchwork of state-by-state laws. Prior to the Un-Carrier Revolution, in-store associates had to print out long paper agreements with different laws and language based on the store’s location.

The company digitized this experience by integrating Docusign with T-Mobile’s middleware platform from Oracle. The solution automatically pulls the accurate legal documentation to in-store iPads, which means less risk of human error, less paperwork, and a more compliant process.

After the agreement is signed, Docusign signals T-Mobile’s middleware to provision the customer’s account so that their phone is immediately usable. The signed paperwork is then filed into T-Mobile’s content management system, making the transaction complete with no paper and minimal manual processes.

Using Docusign to maintain federal compliance

T-Mobile also had to stay compliant with the Truth in Lending Act, a federal law that places strict requirements on how information is presented in financing agreements. All language has to be clear and conspicuous, yet T-Mobile wanted the agreements to be executable on in-store mobile devices.

“Shrinking our normal agreement PDFs would require pinching and zooming, which is worse than just having paper,” explains Bill Sanbeg, senior director of IT development at T-Mobile. “But we didn’t want to give up on the benefits of being digital—so we worked with eSignature to deploy Responsive Signing.”

Docusign’s eSignature and its Responsive Signing function automatically adapts T-Mobile’s customer agreements to whatever device it’s displayed on. They are easy to read and compliant with the Truth in Lending Act—no matter where the transaction takes place.

Creating results that speak loud and clear

Docusign has not only helped T-Mobile increase compliance and create better in-store experiences, but it sped transactions up, too. The checkout process is two minutes faster than it was before Docusign. Although this change seems small, it has had an enormous positive effect on business.

“It’s the difference between someone completing a transaction or giving up on it,” explains Sanford. “In-store closure rates, meaning the number of people who come in and complete a transaction, actually increased by 20 percent.”

Most importantly, customers love the change, and T-Mobile’s net promoter scores in retail are now industry-leading. But the revolution isn’t over yet: Docusign and T-Mobile continue to work together to improve customers experiences with digital signatures and workflows.