{"id":338297,"date":"2017-04-14T00:57:15","date_gmt":"2017-04-13T16:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1476561"},"modified":"2017-04-14T00:57:15","modified_gmt":"2017-04-13T16:57:15","slug":"hulu-to-open-a-dedicated-customer-service-center-in-san-antonio-with-500-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/hulu-to-open-a-dedicated-customer-service-center-in-san-antonio-with-500-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"Hulu to open a dedicated customer service center in San Antonio with 500+ employees"},"content":{"rendered":"

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One of the key selling points for Hulu\u2019s forthcoming live TV service \u2013 which we\u2019ve now heard will be $39.99 per month to start<\/a> \u2013 is its promise of better, more accessible customer service compared to what\u2019s offered today by traditional cable TV providers. This morning, Hulu announced<\/a> a development related to those efforts, with news that it\u2019s opening a \u201cViewer\u00a0 Experience Operations\u201d headquarters in San Antonio, Texas later this year that will bring over 500 jobs to the area by 2018.<\/p>\n

There are\u00a0now a bevy of rival services aiming to replace your cable TV provider \u2013 Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV NOW, YouTube TV, and, soon Hulu (not to mention rumored plans from\u00a0Comcast<\/a>\u00a0and Verizon<\/a>*). Ultimately, these services will end up with roughly comparable channel lineups and pricing. That means consumers opting to forgo cable for live TV via the internet will be making their decisions based on\u00a0other factors \u2013 like the user interface and experience, the premium features (like the cloud DVR or concurrent streams), and more.<\/p>\n

For Hulu, it has a few major selling points<\/a> it\u2019s focused on: rethinking the interface for live TV to feel more modern and mobile \u2013 as with its real-time alerts for programming, for example \u2013 as well as its ability to offer both a subscription video on-demand library alongside live TV under one roof and price plan.<\/p>\n

In addition to this, the company has made customer service a priority for its forthcoming live TV offering. The idea is that dealing with customer support issues shouldn\u2019t be as painful as it is today with traditional providers \u2013 like, say Comcast, for example.<\/p>\n

Hulu already said it would offer subscribers 24\/7 customer service ahead of the launch of its live TV service, it told Reuters<\/a> last month. The company today\u00a0has 150 reps who work remotely, Variety<\/a> reports, and most of these people will move to the new Texas location. The new customer service HQ will grow to include over 300 jobs this year, and will reach\u00a0500 the following year, the company says\u00a0today.<\/p>\n

While not necessarily a feature people first think about when choosing a streaming TV provider, the investment in customer service could ultimately help Hulu better convince existing cable or satellite TV subscribers to cut the cord, and it could help retain users who face issues with Hulu\u2019s service.<\/p>\n

Many of the live TV services have struggled with glitches at\u00a0launch as the company adjusts to the onslaught of new users pounding their servers. This can be a frustrating experience.<\/p>\n

Sling TV, notably, had\u00a0crashed repeatedly at\u00a0inopportune times\u00a0<\/a>in its early days back in 2015, though the service has since largely stabilized. More recently, new DirecTV NOW subscribers became so incensed with that service\u2019s glitches, freezes and other bugs, that some even reported its owner AT&T to the FCC<\/a>, complaining that they were unable to get refunds, despite its lack of\u00a0usability.<\/p>\n

Hulu is looking\u00a0to head off any similar issues by making quality service a core part of its offering \u2013 helping customers with glitches before they start complaining on social media, or worse, just canceling.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our key values at Hulu is putting the viewer first, and vital to that is crafting and delivering an extraordinary customer experience,\u201d said Ben Smith, Head of Experience at Hulu, in a statement. \u201cIn addition to building a great product, we\u2019re building an infrastructure that allows us to provide the most personal, responsive and knowledgeable customer support for our viewers,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The new service center will help Hulu customers with any issues via phone support, email, virtual chat, and social media platforms, Hulu says. It notes\u00a0this consolidation will result in \u201csuperior customer\u00a0service\u201d and \u201cfaster responses.\u201d (\u201c\u2026than cable TV companies\u2019 customer service\u201d is the part of the sentence left unsaid, but clearly implied.)<\/p>\n

In addition to handling inbound support requests, the\u00a0service center\u2019s staff will also conduct outbound customer communication and account analysis, Hulu says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" One of the key selling points for Hulu’s forthcoming live TV service – which we’ve now heard will be $39.99 per month to start – is its promise of better, more accessible customer service compared to what’s offered today by traditional cable TV providers. This morning, Hulu announced a development related to those efforts, with news that it’s opening a… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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