It’s no secret that customer service has been slowly but surely declining as the big three carriers look to cut costs, but in-store support has arguably taken the sharpest hit. All three carriers have closed at least some of their locations and made moves to reduce their reliance on third-party stores, all while raising sales goals to nearly unachievable levels. The result has been widespread burnout and high turnover. It’s clear that carriers now view retail stores as an expensive legacy cost rather than a core part of their strategy. This raises the question: are we headed toward a future where the big three operate mostly, or even entirely, online?
While this might seem like a big leap at first, the groundwork is already in place for T-Mobile, and AT&T and Verizon could follow in the coming years. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at how the industry is shifting and whether an online-only future may be on the horizon.