At the end of last year, there were 60.2 million smartphone users in the U.S. As that number continues to grow every day, it's no surprise that people who buy smartphones want instant access to information anytime from any location.
Consumer demand for on-the-go access is helping drive service providers to offer new and different self-service options. At Comcast, offering self-service options is part of our ongoing focus on making sure our customers can interact with us in whatever way they want — 24/7 and on their schedule.
A good example is our mobile bill pay feature that recently debuted as part of the latest release of our Xfinity Mobile app. With mobile bill pay, Comcast customers who use the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch can conveniently access their account summaries and details, make payments and set up one-time or recurring monthly payments — anytime, anywhere. And for Android users — we expect to launch mobile bill pay for you this year, too.
Self-service features won't replace the more traditional forms of customer service we provide. Customers can still visit us in person at one of our service centers or contact us over the phone or through email or live chat. But our customers lead busy lives and they've told us they want to interact with us in new and more convenient ways and we're working hard to deliver.
You'll hear lots more from Comcast this year on different ways we're using technology so customers can manage their services at home or on-the-go — from expanding our Comcast4U text messaging program, to introducing new and easy-to-use self-installation kits, to giving customers the ability to schedule appointments online.
We'd love to hear from you if you use mobile bill pay or if there are other types of self-service you'd be interested in using. Share your ideas in the comments below.