What Telcos Can Learn From Three’s Award-Winning Customer Experience Strategy
When compliance becomes a source of friction, customer satisfaction suffers. But what if the same regulations that slow down your processes could become a catalyst for better experiences?
That is exactly what Three UK achieved with Lightico.
By digitising and simplifying complex regulatory processes, Three not only reached 100% compliance but also dramatically improved customer satisfaction, reduced handling time, and lifted conversion rates. The initiative won them the 2025 Engage Award for Best Use of Technology in Customer Engagement, and offers powerful lessons for Sales and Service leaders across the telecom industry.
Here’s how they did it.
The Challenge
Three's call center teams were facing significant challenges tied to device financing and growing regulatory pressure, particularly from the FCA and OFCOM.
To stay compliant, agents were required to read long scripts of terms and conditions to every customer, which significantly increased call durations and made the process feel repetitive and frustrating for both advisors and customers.
As regulatory complexity grew, average handling time jumped from 900 seconds to 1,500 seconds per call. This increase led to more customer drop-offs, strained resources, and lower advisor morale. Despite their best efforts, sales and service teams were often stuck juggling outdated tools and high compliance risk, with little room to focus on the customer experience.
Three needed a solution that would allow them to simplify these high-stakes journeys, ensure full compliance, and restore the human connection between customers and advisors.
The Initiative
To tackle these challenges head-on, Three partnered with Lightico, a SaaS platform purpose-built for regulated industries like telecoms.
At the core of the initiative was Lightico’s platform, a no-code solution to orchestrate compliant, digital customer journeys. Designed for regulated customer interactions, the platform allowed Three UK to replace manual scripts with real-time, mobile-first digital experiences. Advisors could instantly send customers a personalised link during the call, where they could review and acknowledge all required terms directly from their phone.
This shift enabled a faster, more intuitive experience while removing the burden of compliance from the advisor. Every step was tracked, logged, and audit-ready, without requiring lengthy scripts or manual paperwork.
The initiative also fostered closer collaboration between sales, compliance, and legal teams. What began as a digital pilot quickly scaled into a strategic initiative.
The Results
- 100% compliance achieved, with no trade-off in customer experience
- 10-minute reduction in average handling time, improving both efficiency and satisfaction
- 10-point increase in Net Promoter Score (NPS), reflecting a clear improvement in customer sentiment
- Higher conversion rates, thanks to smoother, real-time completions
- Improved advisor focus, enabling more meaningful conversations instead of legal monologues
- Stronger cross-team alignment, especially between sales, legal, and compliance
These results show that compliance does not need to come at the cost of customer experience. With the right technology, the two can work together to drive better outcomes across the board.
“Partnering with Lightico enabled us to tackle one of the biggest challenges in telecom sales and service — making compliance seamless. This initiative has empowered our teams to focus on what really matters: the customer. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and excited to keep pushing the boundaries.”
Barry Shields, Director of Sales and Service, Three UK
Why It Matters for Telecom Leaders
In a sector where regulatory scrutiny is high and customer expectations are rising, traditional compliance processes can be a major drag on operational performance.
Three’s success shows what is possible when telecom providers move beyond manual compliance and embrace digital journey orchestration. Whether you are struggling with average handling time, CSAT scores, or advisor enablement, their results prove that meaningful change is within reach.
Final Thoughts
This was not just a technology project. It was a company-wide commitment to making customer interactions simpler, faster, and safer. Three turned one of their biggest pain points into a competitive advantage, and in doing so, raised the bar for the entire telecom industry.
If you are a telecom leader looking to deliver better regulated journeys and better customer outcomes, take a page out of Three’s playbook. The future of compliance is digital, seamless, and centered around the customer.
Learn More
Lightico helps leading telecom providers streamline sales and service journeys with no-code tools that ensure compliance while delighting customers.
Request a demo or explore our Telecom solutions.
Further reading
If you’re a telecom provider looking to reduce handling time, improve NPS, and meet compliance requirements without friction, here are more resources to explore:
